Swap
by Rainbowmnms
Summary: In the ultimate Fairy Tail gender bender, a spell is cast on the entire guild by a malicious novice of a wizard. Will the change of pace bring our wizard friends closer than they've ever been before? Will the 'curse' end up being more of a blessing? Read to find out. Fem!Everyone. Male!Everyone. Nalu Gruvia Jerza Gale
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Yes, this is the ultimate FT gender bender, but we don't start switching genders until the third chapter. O.o Stick with it, though, it'll get pretty romantic/hilarious, (I hope). Thanks for clicking on my story. Hope you like it!**

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><p><strong>The 'Dark Mage' Sonoma's POV<strong>

Those Fairy Tail fools were going to get it this time. I was sure that the spell I'd created was perfect. There wasn't a single error. You may ask what it was that they did to me…I would say nothing personally. They don't even know my name. Why am I doing this? Because they go around destroying anything they choose to in the name of justice.

That's not justice. They destroy more than they save. I witnessed them destroy an entire town. People were hurt in their battle. Their violence is senseless and damaging. I could only take so much before I had to strike back. That was what I was doing now. I walked through the streets grinning to myself.

"Hey, beautiful…smile like that and it'll freeze on your face," said a voice. I turned and saw two men on a boat gliding by. The water trickled around their boat and they waved at me. I cocked my head, wondering what they were talking about.

"Don't mind them. They talk to me all the time," said a new voice. I looked to my left and saw a girl with blond hair tied up in pigtails beside me. She was holding a snowman-looking creature in her arms. It raised its hand and he made a strange _Pun, Puuun_ sound. I stared at it. She must have noticed.

"Oh…this is Plue. He's a dog," she said, smiling. I raised an eyebrow.

"A dog?"

She nodded, "I try not to think about it."

I laughed a little. "So, what's your name?" she asked, "I'm Lucy."

"I'm Sonoma," I said. She was a pretty charismatic person. I couldn't help but smile when she smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Sonoma," she said. She stuck out her right hand to shake mine. That's when I saw it. On the back of her hand was a bright pink guild mark. I recognized it immediately. It belonged to Fairy Tail. I frowned and withdrew my hand.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"You're a member of Fairy Tail?" I said, more of a statement than a question.

"Yeah?" she replied, questioning my sanity. I turned to leave, pulling up the hood on my cloak. "Wait, what's wrong? Where are you going?" she called after me. I ignored her. I had to practice the words for my spell a few more times before tomorrow, when I'd planned to send mayhem Fairy Tail's way. I smiled as I walked away from Lucy. _Sorry, Lucy…enjoy this life while you can._

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><p><strong>Lucy's POV<strong>

"She was strange, wasn't she, Plue?" I said, looking down at my celestial friend. "Pun pun puuuun," he said, nodding. I smiled, "I think so, too." Sometimes I liked to talk to him as if I understood him, though I didn't. Though, there was one person who did understand him: Natsu. I frowned thinking of the fire-breathing maniac. I turned to walk towards my house, Plue still wrapped tightly in my arms.

I let my mind wander and it automatically ended up thinking about Natsu. Just the other day, when we went on a job, he sent someone flying across a room with one punch. Who was this person? The Mayor…that's who. I got angry just thinking about it. We were buried under a pile of fees that took away _all _of the money that we'd just gotten on the job. We had to infiltrate yet another mansion, this time looking for a small statue that was stolen by a dark mage. The whole time Natsu had pulled up his scarf over her face and stuck two fingers together whispering, "Ninjaaaa." His maturity is that of a five year-old. I sighed and swung the door to my apartment open. "Home sweet home," I sighed, breathing in the familiar scent.

"What do you feel like for dinner, Plue?" I asked, setting him down beside me. "Pun pun," he said, looking up at me. "Eh…I'll improvise. I'm poor right now because of _him_…I don't have enough money to go out and get groceries for that, buddy."

"I already ate all of the food in your cupboards," said a voice. I jumped out of my skin and slammed my head against the wall. I winced and when I opened my eyes again and looked up I spotted Natsu and Happy lying on my bed, the blankets pulled up to their chins.

"You did what?" I asked, struggling to my feet. Plue wrapped himself around my leg, "Pun."

"We ate all of your food…sorry," said Natsu, sitting up.

"Why are you here?" I demanded, "And why did you eat all of my valuable comestibles?" I attempted a Lucy-kick, but he caught my foot. He rested his arm on my leg and leaned forward.

"It's not like there was that much anyway," he said, looking up at me with his best puppy-dog eyes. I frowned. "Get out of my house," I growled.

He stared up at me, "But the heating in our house is out. We get cold during the night!"

"Don't care," I replied, "Out." When he starts complaining it's best to give him one or two-word responses.

"So heartless!" cried Happy. I glared at the blue cat, "Out."

"Seriously, Lucy. Just one night?" Natsu begged. He stood up, sliding out of my bed.

"You're trying to tell me that a _fire _Dragonslayer gets cold at night?" I said incredulously.

He nodded, "My toes get cold!"  
>"Wear socks."<p>

"Don't have any."

"Why don't you have—know what? Never mind. Just get out."

"You're actually going to kick us out?" he asked, leaning closer to me. I frowned. My resistance was crumbling.

"When you snore, I'll kick you. Hard," I said, sighing and pinching the bridge of my nose. Tonight was going to be a _long _night.

Natsu jumped for joy and wrapped his arms around me. I felt my face heat up. "Thanks, Luce. Love ya!" he said, "I'm going to go take a bath. Be right out."

"I don't remember giving you…" he slammed the door behind him, "…permission to use my bath." My shoulders slumped and plopped down on my bed. I bounced a few times before the springs leveled out. _Wonderful_, I thought. I was so tired. I let myself collapse onto my bed, lying on my back. My legs dangled over the edge. Plue climbed up my legs and sat down beside me. My eyes drifted shut. Natsu's smell remained from when he'd lay here a moment ago. I breathed it in as I drifted to sleep, feeling strangely warm and comfortable.

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><p><strong>Natsu's POV<strong>

"Luuucy…we're do—" Happy called. His voice was cut off when I clapped a hand over his face. His paws rapped around my fingers. "Shhhh," I hissed. I released Happy and pulled on my shirt. I walked over quietly to where Lucy was lying. Her arms were spread wide and her legs fell over the side of her bed. She looked like she just sat down and passed out.

"She must have been really tired to have fallen asleep like that," Happy whispered.

I nodded, "She looked tired when she came in. I was a little worried." Happy nodded, "Me too."

I reached forward and slid one arm under her legs and the other under her upper back, "Happy, pull the blankets back." He nodded and flew forward, peeling her covers away. I gently lay Lucy down in her bed as she made tiny mumbling sounds in her sleep. I pulled off her boots one by one and set them down beside her bed. I reached over and pulled her blankets back up to her chin.

I smiled down at her. I felt a strange urge to touch her, so I did. I reached forward and brushed her hair from her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. I grinned and Happy stared at me. "Ready to sleep, buddy?" I asked.

He nodded, "Aye, sir!" He saluted me and I returned the favor. I lay down on the floor beside Lucy's bed and Happy curled up in the crook of my arm. We both sighed at the same time, but for different reasons. He sighed out of exhaustion. I sighed because thoughts about Lucy were flying around my head. I shook them off as sleep took hold of me. I drifted off.

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><p><strong>AN: Oh yeah, please leave a review. I love reading them. They give me so much confidence and replenish my will to keep writing. Just a few clicks of the keyboard from you and you'll have me jumping up and down and running around my house out of pure joy. Well, that's it. Please review! :)**

**_Next Chapter's _Preview:**

"I wasn't really thinking…" he said, looking up at me and still breathing hard, "The only thing I could think was that I had to save you…so I jumped." I gasped and turned away. I grasped my chest, trying to calm down my heart.


	2. Chapter 2

**Erza's POV**

"Hello, Mira. Good morning," I said, sliding onto a barstool. My armor clinked as I rested my elbows on the bar table.

The white haired mage peeked out from behind the bar, "The usual?"

I nodded. She stood up and set a plate of strawberry cake down in front of me. I smiled at her and thanked her. I immediately set to work on it, savoring each heavenly mouthful.

"Most people would think it weird that you eat cake every single lunch, but I've known you so long that it's become normal," commented Gray as he sat beside me.

"Gray, I'll pay for your meal!" offered Juvia, standing beside him with a hopeful look on her face.

"No thanks, Juvia. I'm not ordering anything," he said, "Thanks, though." She stalked off looking sad.

"That was harsh," I said, shoveling more cake into my mouth.

"What? I said thanks…" he said, propping his head up on his hand.

"You know what I mean," I said, staring him down.

He nodded, "Yeah…" He looked troubled for a moment and then lifted his head, "Hey, you feel like tagging along on Lucy's next job. Apparently Natsu somehow managed to make all of their hard-earned cash disappear again. She told me that she's going on another soon."

"That sounds nice," I replied, "Did she say yes to that?" I may often be the cause of the destruction we always leave in our wake, but I at least had some sense of decency.

"Yes…" mumbled Gray, his voice trailing off. I stared at him, dropping my fork to the plate. "Maybe…" he said under his breath. I leaned forward expectantly. "Ok, I didn't…but she'll say yes. She always does," said Gray, raising his hands in surrender. I frowned, "No sense of delicacy."

"I'm a man…we don't need delicacy," he said proudly.

"Right…so _that's _why you never wear clothes. I understand now," I said, nodding my head in understanding.

"That's not my fault! Ever since I was a kid—"

I stood up, "Of course. It's _definitely _not your fault." I started to walk away and called over my shoulder, "Find out of Lucy will let us come. I don't want to intrude." _Though I actually do_, I thought.

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><p><strong>Grey's POV<strong>

"No," was her answer.

"But why? We won't destroy anything!" I complained.

"That's impossible for you," she said, crossing her arms over her chest, "Besides, I'm not even leaving until tomorrow. Maybe I'll change my mind by then, but you usually end up magically making my jewels disappear. I'm not fond of disappearing money."

"Will you at least _think _of taking us along? I'm getting dangerously close to being broke," I said, leaning against the wall.

"Yeah, well…I _am _broke. Sometimes when I bring you along, it actually turns out well…_rarely_. I might reconsider if you buy me food," she said, eyeing me.

"I thought I told you that I was practically broke," I said, frowning.

"I'll buy you lunch, Lucy," said a voice. I turned to see Laxus looking at Lucy. I frowned.

"You pretty much never talk to me. Why would you buy me food?" she asked.

"To piss of Natsu," he replied.

"Wait, why would that piss Natsu off?" I asked, really confused.

Laxus stared at me, "Is that a serious question?"

"I want to know, too," said Lucy, raising her hand. _Good, I'm not the only one who has no idea what he's talking about. _

"Well, if _you _don't know, then I'm not gonna tell. Just tell me want. I'll buy it," he said, "Going on S-Class jobs pays well. I'll get you whatever you want."

Lucy grinned, "Awesome!" She did a little leap and then walked over to where Laxus was sitting. She was smiling. _Man, give her a little food and she perks right up…_

"Gray," someone called to me. It was Juvia. I sighed, "What is it?" It's not like I hated her, actually I thought she was a pretty nice person, but sometimes she tired me out.

"Did you need someone to buy you lunch?" she asked. She seemed strangely calmer than usual. I raised an eyebrow, "Are you feeling alright?"

"I just feel a little sleepy. I'm fine," she said, resting her head on the table.

"I don't want to trouble you, though," I said, sitting down beside her. She shook her head, "It's impossible for you to trouble me."

I smiled at her and her eyes went wide, "Gray smiled at me!" _Crap, she snapped back_. "Mirajane! Gray smiled at me!"

"That's nice," Mira called back, smiling brightly.

Juvia turned to me, "So, about lunch." Her cheeks were bright red and her eyes sparkled.

"Yeah…about lunch," I said. I couldn't help but think that there might be a side to Juvia that I didn't know about.

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><p><strong>Juvia's POV<strong>

"I overheard your conversation with Lucy earlier," I said, dangling my legs off of the bridge. I wasn't really afraid to fall into the water seeing as there was no danger for me there.

"And?" he said, looking up at me. We'd somehow ended up going on a walk together after we'd eaten lunch. It was like a dream come true. My heart had been beating nonstop since we'd left the guild. Earlier I'd felt strangely tired, but that feeling was gone now.

"I was wondering if…maybe…you'd like to go on a job with...m-me?" I asked hopefully. I traced circles on the wooden bridge with my finger nervously.

He was silent for a moment and then said, "I guess. If Lucy says no tomorrow, I'll go with you."

I turned to him and smiled, "So that's a maybe, right?"

He nodded, "Yeah…a maybe." He pulled himself up to sit beside me on the bridge, dangling his own legs off of the side. His were much longer than mine. I couldn't stop smiling and my face felt like it was going to set on fire any second.

"Do you remember when we first met?" I asked, smiling at the memory.

"And you tried to attack me?" he said, nodding.

"I was talking about when you saved my life," I said meekly, feeling sort of like he just slapped me in the face with his words.

"Well, I couldn't just let you die," he said, stretching his arms above his head. He stripped his shirt off and I looked away, clenching my eyes shut, "Why are you taking off your clothes?"

"I'm hot," he replied. _Yes, yes you are! _ "I don't like being hot," he said. I realized that he meant temperature hot and not attractive. I blushed again, glad that I didn't say that out loud. When he saw me looking away he said, "Ease up…I'm not taking my pants off." I slowly turned my head back to him and did my best to keep from glanced down at his chiseled stomach muscles. It was a matter of willpower.

"Well, thanks for—" I started. I yelped as I began to slip from the bridge. I fell towards to water, but was stopped when Gray grabbed my wrist, "Hang on, I've got you." I looked up, "No, just drop me. I'll be fine. You'd be in danger if you fell. Let go."

"I'm not going to do that!" he said, his face serious. He tried to pull me back up, but I wouldn't let him. I didn't want to risk him falling into the fast-moving waters below me. I transformed my hand into liquid and it slipped through his fingers, "Sorry, Gray." His eyes went wide as I fell to the water, "Juvia!"

I turned around mid-air and watched as the water rushed towards me. As I plunged into the water, a pleasantly cold feeling surrounded me. My entire body was water now and I glided through the stream. I had to get to land again so that Gray wouldn't worry. I drifted to the surface and stuck my head out of the current. "Juvia!" called a voice. I looked up but didn't see anyone. That's when I realized that the voice sounded unusually close. I looked to my left and saw Gray fly past me. _Idiot! Why did you jump in after me? _

"Hang on, Gray. I'll catch up to you!" I called after him. His head went under the water as his strength began to leave him. I ducked back underwater and propelled myself forward with all the power I possessed. I caught up to Gray in no time. He was drifting with the current, his eyes closed. I grabbed onto him and launched the both of us out of the waves with a powerful blast of my magic. We flew through the air and tumbled to the ground. I groaned and then crawled over to Gray. I flipped him over and realized that he wasn't breathing.

I panicked for a moment and then got serious. This wasn't the right time to freak out. I leaned over him, ready to give him CPR. Our lips got dangerously close before he started coughing and water spilled from his mouth. His head connected with mine as he tried to sit up. "Ouch!" I yelped.

"Ah…what happened?" he asked, shaking the water from his hair. I had to shield my eyes from his blinding brilliance. A damp Gray was even _more _beautiful than the normal one.

"You nearly drowned," I said, "And what is wrong with you?! Why did you jump in?"

"I wasn't really thinking…" he said, looking up at me and still breathing hard, "The only thing I could think was that I had to save you…so I jumped." I gasped and turned away. I grasped my chest, trying to calm down my heart.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I nodded, "Fine. I should be asking you that."

"I'm ok…because of you. Well, I guess this makes us even, huh?" he said, flopping down beside me. He lay on his back, his chest still expanding and contracting quickly. I lay down beside him and enjoyed the sun gently warming my skin.

"I guess so…" I muttered, my eyes closing.

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><p><strong>AN: Well, now that the main players are set up, we can proceed with the story. I'll start working on the next chapter immediately! *****Salutes readers***** **

**I'd like to know what other couples you guys would like to see. Leave a review or PM me! :) I plan on GaLe and JerZa. Thanks. **

_**Next Chapter's Preview: **_

"Oi! What are you staring at?" I asked.

Lucy blushed, "Nothing!" She turned away from me and muttered to herself, "Stop it, Lucy! You are so _not _a pervert!"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Alright! Get ready for some gender bending! ;)**

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><p><strong>Gajeel's POV<strong>

"Gajeel, it's time to go. You need to get to the guild early so that you can get the best job," said Lily's voice. I cracked one eye open and looked at him. I was still mostly asleep, so I shut it again.

"Gajeel, don't go to sleep again," he said. As I started to wake up, I realized that his voice sounded strange. I eased myself upright and shook my head to ease off my sleep. I cracked my eyes open and stared at Lily. There were a few seconds of silence before we pointed at each other and said at the same time, "Look down!"

I raised a pierced eyebrow and looked down, "What the f—"

"We're female!" yelled Lily.

"Thanks for stating the obvious!" I said, standing up. I looked at myself in the mirror that hung on the wall and kept staring for a long time. I reached up and touched my face. My cheeks were smooth and there was no hint of morning stubble. My hair was still long and dark, but now it was strangely silky. My eyelashes had grown out. Worst of all was…

"Don't look!" shouted Lily.

"Why not? It's my body!" I replied angrily.

"No, it's not! We're male! Something must have happened yesterday that caused this. We need to get to the guild and get this situation straightened out," said Lily sternly. At least…it _would _have been stern if I weren't grinning at his feminine voice.

"Stop smiling," he growled.

I shook of the laughter and stared at him seriously, "I don't wanna go to the guild like this, though."

"Suck it up," was all he said before he flitted out the door.

I groaned and followed after him, resisting the urge to look down my own shirt.

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><p><strong>Levy's POV<strong>

"Wow! This is fascinating! I wonder what kind of spell did this," I said, staring at myself. I lifted my shirt and saw well-defined stomach lines. I lifted my arms and stretched them above my head. I turned every which way and then stared at myself in the mirror. I couldn't help but notice that I was pretty good-looking.

"Well, I better head to the guild. As much fun as this was, I need to break this spell. I don't think I've read about a spell like this before…it's probably very old…" I said, stroking my chin. My skin felt rough and my jawline was sharp. I dropped my hand. A thought occurred to me: _oh, god…Gajeel is going to see me like this! _I felt my face heat up and stopped in my tracks. _What am I going to do? This is so embarrassing!_

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><p><strong>Gray's POV<strong>

"What the hell?!" I shouted. At first I'd thought it was a dream—and a really weird one at that—but after pinching myself in some newfound places I realized that it wasn't. I'd gone to sleep without a shirt on last night, so I could see my _everything_. I stood up, my chest bouncing, and noticed that my chest felt really heavy. I groaned and straightened my back, "This _sucks!_"

I pulled on a shirt and my jacket and caught myself in the mirror. I gasped and realized that my hair had grown too. It was about at my shoulders. "Wonderful," I mumbled sarcastically.

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><p><strong>Juvia's POV<strong>

I panicked for a moment and then calmed down. This wasn't that big of a deal. Worse has happened to me…not anything that I could think of off of the top of my head…but I'm sure there was _something. _I perked up as an idea came into my head, "Maybe Gray will like this more!"

I ran out the door, headed for Fairy Tail.

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><p><strong>Erza's POV<strong>

I shook of my exhaustion and sat upright. My body felt strangely heavy as I rolled out of my bed. I rubbed my eyes and barely noticed that my hands felt a bit larger than usual. I stared at them, blinking hard. I stood up and stumbled over to my mirror. I gasped when I saw my reflection. There was one thing that was horribly obvious: I was a man. My hair was short and my chest was gone. I requipped into normal clothing and pulled up my shirt. _Only abs…_I thought to myself.

Wait…that's not that bad. Men are stronger than women…it's a scientific fact. I smiled to myself, staring at my handsome face, "Alright, let's see how strong I've become."

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><p><strong>Lucy's POV<strong>

"Oh my GOD! My cute face is gone!" I screamed. What am I going to do? I can't go outside like this!" I shouted. I clapped a hand over my mouth as Natsu started to shift in his sleep. Yeah, he'd slept at my place again last night. Let's just say I didn't sleep much last night. _Wait, don't be stupid, Lucy! Now's not the time to think about that!_

I ran over to Natsu to try and put a hand over his eyes as he sat up. Unfortunately, I slammed my knee on my bed frame and then tripped on some loose sheets. I rocketed into Natsu's lap. I let out an alarmingly manly scream. _I can't let him see me like this! _

I reached up and covered his eyes with my hand, (which was also manly) I bit down the pain that was coursing through my shin from where I'd hit it on the bed frame. "Lucy? What are you doing?" he asked, trying to pull my fingers away from his face. That was when I realized something, "Natsu! You're a GIRL!"

"Since when?" he asked, finally pulling my hand away from his face. Our faces were inches apart. "I didn't know you were secretly a man," he mumbled, still a little sleepy. He looked down, "I didn't know I was secretly a woman."

Then his eyes went wide, "Lucy, you're a man! And I'm a woman!"

I nodded, "I know!"

"You know?!"  
>"Yeah, I know!"<p>

"You know!"

"This is horrible!"

"This is awesome!" I was about to say, "I know" but then stopped myself, staring at him, "What do you mean it's awesome?" He shot up and stood over me, (me who was still sprawled on the floor).

"I'm so hot!" he said proudly.

"Not as hot as I was!" I cried. I covered my face with my hands and curled up into a ball on my floor.

"Natsu!" said a voice.

"Happy!" he called back. They stared at each other for a few moments and then pointed at each other, laughing hysterically. Apparently Happy was female too.

"It's not funny! I don't want to be a man!" I whimpered, covering my face so that Natsu wouldn't see. He knelt down beside me and placed and strangely gentle hand on my arm, "Luce…"

I didn't uncover my face. This was _so _embarrassing! I was a _man! _"Luce," Natsu repeated. He gently pulled my hands away from my face. I slowly sat upright, tears leaking from the corners of my eyes.

"Don't cry, Luce. We'll sort this out. We always do. Remember when you became invisible? It all ended well then, too. It'll be alright," he said gently. He smiled as me, his long, salmon hair falling over one eye. I wiped the tears from my face and nodded. _Has Natsu become more considerate or is it just me? _

That was when he did something that surprised me. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and hugged me. At first I went rigid, his—oh god—boobs pressing against my chest, but then I sunk into it. This was just Natsu. There was no need to worry. I wrapped my arms around him. His waist was so small. Is this what it's like for a guy to hug a girl? He pulled away and stared at me. I started to shift under his gaze, but then stared back. My eyes glanced down to his chest for a moment.

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><p><strong>Natsu's POV<strong>

"Oi! What are you staring at?" I asked.

Lucy blushed, "Nothing!" She turned away from me and muttered to herself, "Stop it, Lucy! You are so _not _a pervert!"

I stood up and patted the dirt off of my pants, "Well, time to go."

"Go where?" she asked, standing up beside me. I looked up at her, "Jeez, you're tall."

"I don't want to be!" she whined.

"Well, anyways…we need to get to the guild. They'll figure this out," I said, walking to her door and pulling it open. I looked back at her and she stared at me. "You think I'm going to the guild wearing this? And what about you?!" she said. I looked down and realized that my entire chest was showing. I covered it self-consciously and then wondered why I had.

"Natsu's almost as bad as Gray now," said Happy, floating by.

"Oh, yeah…do you think we're the only ones that this happened to?" Lucy asked, rummaging through her drawers.

"How should I know?" I asked, walking over to join her. She lifted up a navy T-shirt and gave it to me. I took it and then started to pull off my clothes. She yelped and turned away immediately. "Calm down, Luce. It's not like you've never seen a naked girl's body before," I said.

"But it's _your _naked body!" she cried, still not looking at me. I pulled the shirt over my head, "Alright, I'm dressed…but I don't see why that would matter."

"Here," I said, offering her my shirt. She turned around and stared at it, "You expect me to wear something _that _revealing?"

"It's not revealing…for a man," I said, shrugging. She grumbled and took the shirt. She ripped off her pink pajama shirt and threw it onto her bed. I stared at her. "Don't look at me!" she said, trying to cover herself.

"Damn, Luce…you're ripped," I said, crossing my arms over my own busty chest.

"This is so weird," she said, covering her face, which was turning bright red. I wanted to reach forward and touch her, but I held my hand back. I felt my own face turn red, too. Unfortunately, before I could look away, she noticed it.

"OH my GOD! Natsu! Were you thinking about something perverted?!" she demanded, pulling the shirt I'd given her on.

"No!" I insisted, but it only made my face turn red.

"You were thinking that I was attractive, weren't you? Are you gay?" she asked. Her voice wasn't judgmental...just curious.

"No! I wasn't thinking any of that!" I said. I tried to push her away, but she caught my hands easily.

I frowned and she smiled, "I'm stronger than you now."

"No!" I yelled, "Why has this happened to me!?" I collapsed to my hands and knees and mumbled to myself, "Lucy is…Lucy is _stronger _that me now! I'm weak…I'm nothing!"

She patted my head to try and comfort me, "I'll take that as an insult."

"Don't pat me!" I said, slapping her hand away. She sighed and grabbed me. She slung me over her shoulder easily and headed for the door. "Put me down!" I yelled, pounding on her back. She grabbed her keys on the way out.

After a while of walking towards the guild, I finally gave up in trying to break free of her grasp. If I used my magic I'd easily be able to break free…but I didn't want to actually _hurt _Lucy.

When we finally arrived at the guildhall, I was still slung over her shoulder. She kicked the door open and yelled, "We've got a probl—" Shock cut her voice off.

"What is it?" I asked because I was still facing towards the street. The put me down gently and I turned to see the guildhall. Every. Single. Guild. Member. Was. The. Opposite. Gender. My mouth dropped open.

"Well…that answers the question about whether we were the only ones," Lucy said, crossing her arms over her muscly chest.

I looked away from her and nodded. Then I had an idea. Apparently Lucy had the same idea because we said in unison, "Oh, man. We _need _to find Gray and Erza!" We high fived each other and went to find them.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading! Please don't forget to leave a review telling me what you think. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Juvia's POV**

I ran my fingers through my short hair. It was strange that even the length of my hair had changed when this spell was cast on me.

"Juvia, over here," said a voice. I snapped out of my trance and looked up. Mira was looking at me, waiting for me to come to her. I walked over to her and peered into the chest that she'd pulled open. "Take your pick," she said, smiling.

I leaned over and pulled out a set of male clothes. Mira was working to cloth everyone properly so that we didn't look like some strange cross-dressing guild, (not that there aren't some people in this guild who do that anyway). Mira smiled and left me in the room to change. I pulled on the light blue T-shirt and the cargo pants that I'd pulled out of the chest. I stretched my arms above my head. I stared at myself in the mirror. It was strange…being male.

The same exhausted feeling I felt yesterday washed over me again. I yawned deeply and yanked the door open. I rejoined the rest of the guild, sitting down at one of the tables and letting my head thunk against the wood. I yawned again and closed my eyes.

"You tired too?" asked a voice. I cracked one eye open lazily and picked up my head a bit. My eyes went wide. "G-Gray?" I said, reeling backwards. I tipped my chair so far backwards so suddenly that it toppled over. I lay sprawled out on the floor, moaning in pain, "That hurt a lot."

Gray laughed and leaned over me. He offered me a hand up and I took it. I leaned over and pulled my chair upright, sitting down in it again. Gray sat beside me and leaned forward. My face lit up and I closed my eyes.

"Juvia, are you sick?" he asked, leaning forward even more.

"Gray…pull up your shirt…I can't take it," I muttered, covering my face with my hands. He looked down and shrugged, "I don't really care."

"I do!" I breathed. He frowned and shrugged off his coat, exposing even more skin. I gasped and practically toppled over again. He laughed out loud, "You're so cute."

"I am _not _cute!" I insisted, not sure why that had offended me. If this were a normal situation I'd have loved for Gray to say that, but right now I was so tired that I couldn't process his words. My body felt heavy as I rested my head on the cool tabletop again. Gray reached forward and placed a hand on my forehead. I didn't try to stop him.

"You're burning up!" he said, alarmed, "Wendy!" Within a few moments, Wendy approached our table. She looked strange with short hair, but other than that she was relatively the same, (it's not like a non-existent chest can disappear).

Wendy leaned forward, "Juvia, do you feel tired?" I nodded exhaustedly. "Any muscle pain? Aches?" I nodded again.

"Levy!" she called. Levy was by our table in a minute. I blinked slowly. I barely registered the fact that Gray's face was really close to mine. "I think this may be a side-effect from the spell…but then why wouldn't anyone else show it?" Wendy asked.

Levy leaned close to me, stroking her chin. Levy had grown strangely tall. It was weird seeing her like that…actually, she was probably a little taller than me. "Hmm. From what I've seen, this spell seems to be targeted towards the Fairy Tail guild only. It also targets the body itself, reversing our chromosomes. I imagine if someone had increased hormones or was previously stimulated before or during the casting of the spell, they'd be affected more than most," she said, talking very quickly.

I tried to raise my head, but it didn't work, "What does that mean?" I was reduced to mumbling.

"Um…" she said awkwardly, "It means that if you felt…_attracted _to someone as the spell was cast, this is what happens." Levy blushed and then yawned.

There was a moment of silence before I turned to Gray, "So it's _your _fault." I was pretty delirious at this point and I didn't even know what I was saying. To my surprise, Gray's head was on the table too. His eyes were closed and he was snoring.

"We should really get these two into beds," said Wendy, gesturing to us. I nodded, "Bed…"

"I agree," said Levy, yawning again. Her eyes started to droop and her face turned reddish, "Maybe…me…too…" She then proceeded to pass out. Her knees went limp and she tumbled backwards. She landed on top of Wendy who yelped as they fell to the floor. "H-heavy!" she grunted. I weakly raised my head and looked around the guild. One by one, people were dropping. Gajeel went first, one moment walking across the hall, the next flat on his face. Erza was next to collapse. She was eating some strawberry cake and her face fell into it with a splat. Natsu and Lucy, who were standing next to each other and grinning, went last. Then reached for each other in a vain attempt to stay upright, but fell to the ground anyway. Natsu landed on top of Lucy and passed out. Lucy moaned, "Natsu…off…" but he couldn't hear her.

"This is bad," said Wendy, shoving Levy off of her tiny body. That was when my eyes sagged and my head hit the table. My consciousness faded as I passed out.

* * *

><p><strong>Erza's POV<strong>

My eyes snapped open immediately and I requipped into my armor. I felt hands grab me and try to calm me down. "Master, Erza's up!" called a voice. As my eyes slowly began to focus I realized that there was a little boy holding my arm. He had dark blue hair and a girlish face. He also had a strangely high voice. "Wh-Who…" I began.

"It's me…Wendy," she said. I nodded, "That should have been obvious…you haven't change _there_." I still wasn't awake so I wasn't sure what I'd just said.

I saw Wendy frown and she said, "That's real nice, Erza."

"Wait, what did I say?" I asked, swinging my long legs over the side of the bed. I stood up and said, "The ground is so far away," before I fell back onto my bed.

"Calm down, Erza. Sit for a moment. You'll come back to yourself any second now," said an elderly woman's voice. I looked to my left and saw who I presumed was the Master. He looked alarmingly like Oba Baba-Sama, the Master of Lamia Scale. I stifled a laugh.

"Don't hold it in…let it out. I know I'm even more good-looking than I was before," he said, striking a pose. I couldn't contain my laughter any more. It burst from me and echoed throughout the room. It somehow helped me wake up. I shook my head and focused my vision.

"Awake now?" the Master asked. I nodded, "What happened? Why am I in the infirmary?"

"You passed out…just like the rest of them," he said, gesturing to the rest of the room. I noticed for the first time that all of the beds were filled. Lucy was mumbling in her sleep, "No…my comestibles…" Natsu tossed and turned, his long hair looking like a rat's nest. Happy was sleeping soundly next to him, somehow managing to stay unconscious as Natsu thrashed around. Carla was passed out beside Happy, curled up against his back. Gray looked dead. He just lay there. Apparently he had stripped in his sleep, because he wasn't wearing a shirt. When Wendy noticed she rushed over and covered him up with the sheets. She grinned awkwardly.

Juvia was sleeping soundly, her palms clasped together and cradling her cheek. She was smiling in her sleep. Levy was sitting up in bed, reading a book. When she saw me looking at her she smiled and then returned to her reading. I didn't doubt that she was trying to find out more about this spell that was cast on us. In the bed beside her was Gajeel. He was snoring loudly, one hand on his stomach and the other falling over the side of his bed. Levy glanced over at him and smiled to herself.

"Might I ask why we passed out and no one else did?" I asked, standing up.

"Because you're in love," chirped Wendy, walking back form covering up Gray, "At least that's what I _think _Levy meant when she said all of those complicated words." _Love? There's only one person that I can think of…_

"I'm awake!" Natsu yelled, sitting upright in his bed, "Wait, where am I?"

"The infirmary," I answered, walking towards him.

"I think I remember passing out on top of Lucy…" he said, rubbing his eyes. As he started to wake up for real, his cheeks turned a faint pink. He looked away from me, trying to hide what I'd already seen. He turned and saw Lucy asleep in the bed beside his. He stood upright and held onto me, waiting for the dizziness to pass. Once he got a hold of himself he walked over to the side of Lucy's bed and sat down in the chair beside it. He rested one arm on her sheets and then, within seconds, passed out again right in the chair.

"That's impressive," I said, nodding. I heard a moaning sound and Gray sat upright. The sheets fell off of his chest and he didn't react. "Gray…you should put this on," said Wendy, tossing him a shirt. He nodded and slipped it on. He blinked wearily and then stretched his arms above his head, "I feel sleepy."

"That's because—" Levy started, but Gray, raising his hand, cut off her words. "Shhh…I don't need to know," he said, "Something to do with the spell. My brain can't take it right now…" He stood up slowly and leaned over Juvia's bed. He stared at her for a few moments and then turned away to sit down. I raised an eyebrow as Juvia's arm shot out in her sleep. It latched onto Gray's wrist and pulled him close. He tumbled into her bed and landed directly on top of her. Juvia was still asleep.

"J-Juvia," he stuttered, shocked. I laughed a little.

"Yeah, sure, Erza. Laugh it up…just know that I'll laugh when something like this happens to _you!" _he said. His eyes drooped and he passed out again right on Juvia's chest. They looked cozy together.

"Shrimp…why are you so tall?" muttered a voice. I looked over and saw Gajeel twisting around in his sheets. Levy stared at him, her face lighting up bright red.

"Gajeel?" she squeaked, except it was a manly squeak…which I didn't know was possible.

"You were always so tiny…I liked that…but, now you're tall," he mumbled, frowning in his sleep. Levy picked up one of her pillows and launched it at him. It collided with his face and he sat up immediately. He lashed out at the air around him and then stopped when he realized that no one was assaulting him. He looked around the room, "Oh…so it wasn't a nightmare."

"You were talking in your sleep," Levy said, clearly embarrassed.

"I was?" he asked, scratching his head. He fell back against hi pillows and shut his eyes, "Don't care…sleep…now." Levy stared at him and yawned widely, "Actually, I think I might sleep some more, too." She put now her book and her notes, "I'll finish this when I wake up." Now they were all unconscious again.

"How come I'm not sleepy anymore?" I asked, looking at the Master and Wendy.

"Probably because you have a greater will power than them," the Master replied, "Either that or your body is more resistant to the effects of the spell…either reason is possible." I nodded and sighed. I stalked out of the infirmary, leaving everyone still passed out.

I sat down at the bar and Mira smiled at me. It was strange seeing her as a man and I still wasn't used to it. Seeing a pin-up model transform into a man isn't something that one can easily accept. "The usual?" she asked.

"No…I think I'll have coffee," I replied.

"Still having trouble staying awake?" she asked. I nodded exhaustedly. She prepared my drink and set it down in front of me. I smiled and nodded. I took a sip and enjoyed its warmth. That's when I heard a loud banging sound behind me. I turned around immediately, standing up.

"Fairy Tail! I can't help but think that _you _have something to do with this!" shouted a voice. My heart leapt to my throat as I realized who it was that was standing in the doorway. Jellal Fernandez: the one man that I thought of when Wendy mentioned the word _love_. I dropped my coffee and it spilled all over the floor. When he saw me his mouth dropped, "Erza?"

"Jellal?" My first thought was wondering why he had returned here after so long. My second was: _Oh. My. God. He saw me like this!_ My third was: _Jellal is a woman?!_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please leave me a review! I'm in love with reviews! Thanks!**

**Next Chapter Preview:**

I smiled and reached up slowly. I took a lock of her hair between my fingers and my smile faded, "I liked it longer."

She smiled, "You always did like my hair."


	5. Chapter 5

**Jellal's POV**

I stared at Erza, shock rising within me. It took me a moment to realize that the entire guild had suffered the same thing I had. I facepalmed, tearing my eyes away from the now-masculine Erza. "I guess I was right…" I mumbled.

"Jellal? Why are you here?" Mira asked. I used to be a member of Fairy Tail. They'd accepted me for who I was. I wasn't really sure why I'd left. Maybe it was because I didn't feel like I fit in. Maybe it was because I started to feel something that I didn't want to feel. Standing in the doorway, looking at Erza, those feelings rushed back.

"I figured that Fairy Tail had something to do with the fact that I woke up this morning and discovered that I was female. I was right, it seems," I said, stepping into the guildhall and shutting the doors behind me.

"But you're not in Fairy Tail anymore. Why did it affect you?" Mira asked, walking up to me. I frowned, "If I knew that answer to that question, I'd tell you."

Mira frowned, "Come on. Sit down. We haven't found a solution yet, but we hope we'll find one soon."

I sat down at the bar beside Erza. She was still gaping at me. I stared at her and she sat down, not taking her eyes off of me.

"Stop staring at me. You're making my uncomfortable," I mumbled as Mira set a glass of water down in front of me. I took a sip and reached forward. I shut Erza's mouth and she blinked a few times. I let my arm drop back to my side.

"You're here," she breathed.

Her surprise hurt a little. What's worse is that she sounded happy about it. It made my heart tighten, "Yeah. I'm here."

She smiled and sat down beside me, staring at me. The exhaustion I'd been feeling all day crept up on me again. I shut my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. My head felt heavy and I suddenly felt really hot.

"Jellal, are you tired?" she asked. I weakly nodded. I yelped out as she picked me up princess-style.

"Well, this is degrading," I said, frowning but not resisting. I knew Erza well enough to understand that once she set her mind on doing something there was no stopping her.

I sighed, "Where are you taking me?"

"The infirmary," she replied, looking down at me. I nodded, not bothering to argue. She carried me down a series of hallways until she paused outside the door. She set me down on my feet again, holding my shoulder to keep me upright. She looked me in the eye and a slight hint of pink graced her cheeks.

"I know this may not be the right time to say this, but I'm glad you're back," she said.

I smiled and reached up slowly. I took a lock of her hair between my fingers and my smile faded, "I liked it longer."

She smiled, "You always did like my hair."

I nodded and felt my eyelids sag. I closed them and leaned against her chest. I took a deep breath, "Alright. I'll take that bad now, if you don't mind."

I felt her picked me up again and heard the door open. She gently lay me on the bed and sat down beside me. "You don't need to watch me fall asleep. I'll be fine," I whispered before I drifted to sleep.

"I want to," she replied before sleep took hold of me.

* * *

><p><strong>Gajeel's POV<strong>

I bolted upright, my hair gently drifting down around me. I ran my fingers through my long hair, a little creeped out that it was so soft and…ladylike. I looked to my left and saw Levy passed out on the bed beside me. I grinned a little to myself and then wiped the smile from my face. I didn't want people to catch me smiling at shrimp. I frowned as a thought occurred to me: she wasn't a shrimp anymore.

I leaned over her bed and stared at her. Her legs reached all the way to the end. She cradled a book in her arms. She let out a tiny sigh with each breath. I sat on the foot of her bed and she mumbled a bit, clutching her book tighter. It always seemed strange to me; the way she would always have her nose in a book was something I would never do. I wondered what worlds she experienced in those pages. I bet she learned a lot from them. Maybe that's how she turned out to be so smart.

I tore my gaze away from her sleeping face and looked around the infirmary. Lily was passed out on the bed I'd left. Natsu was asleep on Lucy's bed. Gray and Juvia were asleep in the same bed, which I found a little strange. Wendy was sleeping by the window, tiny snores escaping her. In the corner, though, was something I found strange. Sleeping in the last bed was a woman. She had long, blue hair that fell down to her lower back. I wasn't sure who that was, but Erza was sitting up straight in the chair beside her bed. I walked over to them, trying to be as quiet as possible—which wasn't very quiet—so that I wouldn't wake the sleeping person up.

I leaned down next to Erza, about to ask her who the woman was. I'd never met this person before and I was curious about why they were asleep in our infirmary. Just as I opened my mouth to say something, I realized that Erza was also asleep. I frowned and quietly returned to my bed. I plopped down on it, wincing as the springs squeaked under my weight. A few seconds later, Levy's eyes cracked open.

"Gajeel?" she asked, sitting upright and rubbing her eyes. Her book slid from her arms and plummeted towards the ground. I instinctively reached out to catch it, but found that my arms were too short. I cursed under my breath and waited for the book to slam against the floor. It didn't happen. Levy had managed to catch it and set it down on her lap. I frowned. _Since when was Shrimp so quick?_

"Are you alright, Gajeel?" she asked, keeping her voice quiet so that she wouldn't wake anyone else up.

I glanced up and crossed my arms. I stared at her. She was…manly. It pissed me off. She wasn't supposed to look like this. She was supposed to be tiny. I was supposed to be able to lift her up with one arm whenever I felt like it. This all felt really…wrong!

"You seem angry," said whispered, staring at her book and nervously fiddling with the corner.

"Yeah," I grumbled.

"It is about the fact that you're a woman?" Levy asked, glancing up at me as if she were treading on eggshells.

I frowned, "No."

She raised an eyebrow, "Then what is it?"

"I just…nothing…it's stupid," I said, flopping down on my bed. I shut my eyes as if just by doing so I'd be able to will myself into sleep. Falling asleep, though, isn't a matter of willpower.

When I opened my eyes again, frustrated, I practically jumped out of my skin. Levy was leaning over me, staring down at me. "What are you doing?!" I hissed.

"Sorry! I was just worried about you!" she whispered back, looking alarmed.

"You really care?"

"Of course I do!"

I sighed, "It pisses me off that _you're _a man, not that _I'm _a woman."

She looked puzzled, "I don't understand."

"I can't call you Shrimp anymore," I grumbled, rolling over so that she couldn't see my face. I flinched as she patted my shoulder, "I guess I understand, then." I rolled back over, "You do?"

She nodded, "Yeah." She rested her head on the edge of my bed and smiled. I stared at her, propping myself up on my elbows.

"I liked it when you were small…and now you're not," I said, frowning.

"It's all really strange. I hope I can crack this thing soon," she said, looking worried.

"Hey, it's not all on your shoulders. We'll help you out," I said, patting her head. She smiled and nodded. "Besides, that way I can call you Shrimp again," I said, grinning a little.

She laughed quietly, "You should still call me Shrimp. I like it when you do."

That caught me by surprise, "You l-like it?" _What the hell was that? I'm acting like a girl!_

"Yeah. It makes me happy," she said, smiling again. I realized that I liked it when she smiled. She had a sweet smile that always seemed to cheer me up.

I nodded and cleared my throat awkwardly, "Alright, then. Go to sleep, Shrimp. We've got a big day tomorrow."

She nodded and returned to her bed, lying down and closing her eyes. She sighed and fell asleep, still smiling. For some reason, I couldn't seem to fall asleep after that. I kept finding myself staring at Levy's sleeping face. Every time I looked away, only to have my gaze shift back to her after I while. When I finally managed to fall asleep, I felt weirdly happy.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yay! Swap is officially off of hiatus! Happy Birthday, loyal followers! (It's alright if there aren't that many of you. I still love you guys)  
>Don't forget to leave me a review. More GaLe, JerZa, NaLu, and GrUvia moments to come! :)<strong>

**Next Chapter Preview:**

"Morning," I mumbled.  
>"Yeah, whatever," she mumbled back, nestling further into the crook of my arm, "Were you always this comfortable?"<br>"That's a weird question," I replied.  
>Her only reply was a smile, her eyes still closed. I grinned.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

**Gray's POV**

Waking up sucks when you finally gain consciousness only to find that your entire body aches. Why did my body ache? It hurt because I'd fallen asleep with a male version of Juvia passed out on top of me. It wasn't exactly the ideal sleeping conditions that I strive for. For some reason, though, I didn't make any move to change my position. I guess I was afraid of waking her up.

I just sat there, now fully awake. I stared at her. It was strange seeing her as a man. I didn't really like it, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. I thought back to the other day, when she'd saved me…after I _tried_ to save her. Would I have jumped in if she were a man then? Why did I jump in? I knew that she would have been fine. Juvia _is _made of water after all. It's not like she could drown…

Why, then? Why did I do it? My thoughts were interrupted as Juvia stirred against my chest. "You awake?" I whispered. She nodded without opening her eyes.

"Morning," I mumbled.

"Yeah whatever," she mumbled back, nestling farther into the crook of my arm, "Were you always this comfortable?"

"That's a weird question," I replied.

Her only reply was a smile, her eyes still closed. I grinned.

"Do you realize where you're sleeping?" I asked her. She cracked one eye open, "By 'where you're sleeping' you do mean the fact that I fell asleep on your chest?" she asked.

I smiled and nodded, "Not that I mind, or anything, but you're crushing me."

Her eyes went wide and she bolted upright. She almost tumbled off of the side of the bed, her arms flailing trying to keep her balance. I caught her wrist and pulled her back onto the bed. She sighed out of relief.

"That was a close one," I said, laughter in my voice.

"Sorry that I slept with you! Ah! I meant on you! I mean, wait, no, I—"

I covered her mouth with one hand and nodded, "Yeah, I know what you meant."

She nodded and relaxed a bit. I was about to say something, but was interrupted by a snore. I looked to my left and saw Natsu and Lucy together. I smiled a little, "Juvia, look." Whispering was useless. They'd managed to sleep through Juvia's yelling, so I figured they'd stay unconscious no matter how loud we spoke.

"Lucy and Natsu," Juvia breathed. She smiled wide and stared at them, "Do you think they love each other? I mean, when you think about it, every single person in this room is in love."

That was like a verbal slap in the face, "Love?"

Juvia nodded, "Levy said that that's the reason why we passed out. Don't you remember? Oh…you might have already been asleep by then."

"I'm in love?" I asked no one in particular. Juvia eyes went wide, "Love! You're in love?"

She launched herself towards me, pinning me down on the bed, "Who are you in love with?"

"Lemme go! You're acting crazy!" I tried to break free from her grasp, but she was much stronger than I was.

"Not until you tell me who you love," she said. She stared at me expectantly. I growled, "I'm not in love."

"But you have to be…because otherwise you wouldn't be in here," she said as if it were obvious.

"Maybe I was just tired…ever think of that?" I said angrily. She eased off of me and turned away from me. Her shoulders slumped. I sat up, "Jeez, why do you care?"

She remained silent. "Juvia?" I asked. I placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and realized that she was shaking. I tried to turn her head towards me, but she wouldn't let me see her face.

"S-Sorry," she whimpered. Her voice sounded shaky.

"For what?" I asked. She finally looked up at me, her blue hair falling down in gentle curls over her forehead. I stared at her, a horrible feeling rising in my stomach when I saw her tears.

She whispered something in reply to my question, but I couldn't hear it. I leaned closer and she whimpered. "For what?" I whispered.

"F-for…loving you," she breathed. I leaned back, not sure what to say after hearing that. I pressed my back against the wall, feeling its coolness flow through my body. Wait, why was my body hot? I touched my face and realized that it was burning. She stared at me, tears streaming down her face. Love? She loves me?

"Natsu! Get offa me!" Lucy practically yelled. I jumped and slammed my head on the wall. I groaned and clutched it tightly, willing the pain to disappear. It didn't.

"I'm not on you! That's Happy!" Natsu mumbled back. He was an impressively loud mumbler.

"Happy!" Lucy whined, shoving him off. He fell onto Carla who then proceeded to shove him off of her. He flopped onto the floor, not bothering to move from where he fell.

"Natsu, why are you sleeping on my bed?" Lucy questioned after her eyes drifted open.

"I figured you'd get lonely without company," he replied, his eyes still shut tightly.

"That's stupid," she replied immediately, her voice not showing any emotion other than slight amusement.

"Yep," Natsu replied, raising his head and looked at Lucy. She smiled and pet his head, "I forgive you, though."

He grinned, still shaking his sleep off, "Mhm."

"My head feels like it was hit by a train," said a voice. We all turned to see Gajeel who was sitting up slowly. He had bags under his eyes indicating that he hadn't gotten much sleep.

"I feel great!" Levy chirped, stretching her arms above her head. They looked at each other. Levy smiled and Gajeel frowned.

"Stop talking," someone groaned. Levy's eyes went wide as she looked to the bed on the end. Erza was trying to sleep on the side of Jellal's bed…wait, why is Jellal here? He hasn't been here since he left the guild all those years ago!

"It's alright. I'm already awake," Jellal said, easing himself upright. He patted Erza's head, which I thought was strange. Erza straightened her back and rolled her head around on her shoulders. A popping sound came form her neck and she sighed in relief. I grimaced.

"I don't mean to, I don't know, burst your bubble, but why are you here, Jellal?" Natsu asked. His blankets fell off of him and he frowned. I stared.

"Notice anything, Natsu?" Jellal asked.

"You were affected by the spell too?" Lucy asked, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

"Apparently so," Jellal grumbled.

"We shouldn't be worrying about who was affected or not. We should be worrying about how we're going to lift the spell," Gajeel mumbled.

"Gajeel is right. I've found a little information, but not enough to break the spell," Levy added, glancing around the room and meeting each of our stares. There was an awkward moment of silence before Gajeel spoke up, shattering that silence into tiny, little pieces.

"And?" he said, annoyed and leaning forward.

"Oh!" Levy said, practically jumping in the air. She whipped out her book and flopped onto her stomach, leaning over the pages. She went to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear before she realized that there wasn't a lock there. I guessed it was a habit that she would do whenever she was concentrating. She frowned and brushed her lack of hair off.

"The one bit of information that I found is this," she said, pointing to the page, "Gender reversing spells are often caused by flaws in the magical makeup of the caster."

We all stared at her. "Would you mind expanding on that, Levy?" Erza asked kindly, crossing her armored arms over her chest.

"Yes, yes, of course. Essentially, the caster was most likely attempting to cast an entirely different spell on us, but due to what you might call a 'magical hiccup', the caster ended up accidentally reversing all of our genders instead."

"So we can assume that this isn't a very magically proficient wizard…maybe an amateur," I said, nodding.

"A person who is prone to magical fumbles and mistakes, yes," Levy said, sitting up.

"That doesn't really help us figure out who it is, though," Gajeel said skeptically.

"Yes, but it may help us gather suspects," Levy added.

"Every bit of information is helpful. We'll keep looking, though. We might find something else that's helpful," Erza said, smiling.

"So you think that finding this person will mean the spell being broken? What if the caster can't undo the spell?" Lucy pointed out. I frowned, not wanting to think about it.

"Most spells can be undone. There is always some loophole or incantation that can be used. Spells cast by amateurs are especially easy to undo. The only problem is that we don't know the original words of the spell, so we can't undo it until we learn them," Levy replied.

Lucy nodded in relief and I felt my shoulders relax, "Alright, so what can we do to help?"

"Good question, Gray. I think that if we all came together and tried to divine some sort of suspect or make a list of people who have seemed suspicious in the past week, we might be able to close in on our caster."

There was a moment of silence. "I can't really think of anyone," I said, scratching my chin in thought, "Can you guys?"

"Nope," Natsu replied immediately. Then his eyes went wide, "Oh! That mayor guy! He might be angry that I sent him flying!"

Lucy hid her face in her hands, "Natsu, at least _try _not to be so stupid."

"Hey, it's possible," Natsu said, leaning forward. His long hair fell from his shoulder and he swiped it out of the way of his vision.

"No, it's not," Lucy said, "He's not a wizard." Lucy grinned at Natsu smugly and Natsu stuck out his tongue in reply.

"Hey, I'm stronger than you. Stop acting so childish or I'll throw you out," Lucy said, enjoying this.

Natsu looked pissed off, "You're not stronger than me." He huffed and crossed his arms over his substantial chest. He tipped his chin up in disdain. Lucy grinned, "Oh, I'm not?" She reached forward and grabbed Natsu around his stomach. She lifted him up and slung him over her shoulder. He yelled out and pounded at her back, "Put me down, Lucy. I give! I give!" He sounded angry but he was smiling. Lucy dropped him onto the bed, laughing.

"Wow…really helpful input there, guys," Gajeel drawled. Levy lightly slapped his arm. "Hey, what was that for?"

Levy glared at him, "It's not like you're being helpful either."

"Well, any number of dark guilds might have something to do with this. I haven't seen anyone suspicious lately, but that doesn't mean that they haven't been here. To do this spell, did the caster have to be near Fairy Tail?"

Levy nodded, her annoyance vanished, "They'd need to be pretty close—not necessarily inside, but still close."

Juvia nudged me, "Do you remember seeing anyone when we were out together the other day?"

I shook my head, "No. You?" She shook her head. Wow, some help we were.

I looked over to Lucy who was sitting cross-legged on her bed, her back propped up against Natsu's. She looked to be in deep concentration…like something was bothering her.

"Lucy?" I asked. She didn't look up.

* * *

><p><strong>Lucy's POV<strong>

My mind reeled. It had suddenly hit me: there was one person who I'd found strange. It seemed impossible. Why would someone like her want to hurt Fairy Tail? She seemed nice enough. I wanted to dismiss my worries, but I just couldn't stop thinking about how she'd practically sprinted away from me when she'd seen my guild mark.

"Lucy!" someone shouted. I jumped and almost fell off of the bed. Natsu grabbed my arm to steady me.

"What? What happened?" I asked frantically.

Gray laughed, "You were staring at the wall for a long time. Are you alright?"

"I'm—I'm alright," I said nervously.

Natsu poked my arm and I looked at him. "Luce, you have something, don't you?" Natsu asked. He looked me in the eye. I looked away immediately but he leaned forward so that he was in my line of sight. "Luce," Natsu said. I felt my resistance crumble at the way he said my nickname. I sighed and nodded.

"What? What is it?" Levy asked, her telltale curiosity shining through.

I took a deep breath, "Sonoma."

"Sonoma? Who's that?" Gajeel asked, leaning forward.

"She's just a girl I met the other day," I replied.

"…And you suspect her because…" Jellal said as if to coax an answer out of me.

"When I tried to shake her hand, she saw my guild mark. She freaked out and ran away," I said and then looked up at everyone desperately, "But that doesn't mean that she's the one who cast the spell!"

Natsu slung an arm over my shoulder, "'Course not."

"But we should still find her. If she _does _turn out to be the caster, we'd be able to get this spell lifted," Jellal said, crossing his arms.

"But then, how can we find her?" Juvia asked. She looked at Gray as if he had all the answers. Gray didn't even notice.

"We could always use my nose!" Natsu said happily.

"Yeah, but you don't know what she smells like," I pointed out.

Natsu frowned, "Oh, yeah."

"Don't be so fast to rule that option out. I might have a solution," Jellal said, standing up. I stared at him. He grinned at Natsu and I. I frowned. _Oh no._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hope you enjoyed this latest chapter. Don't forget to leave a review if you liked it and look forward to the next update.**

**Next Chapter Preview:**

"Do we really have to do this? It's...creepy," Lucy said, looking nervous and shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

I grinned, "You know you want to." I leaned close to her and raised an eyebrow. Her face turned red and she pushed me away, "No! No I _didn't _know that!"

I smiled. Man, it's fun messing with Lucy.


	7. Chapter 7

**Natsu's POV**

"What does _that _mean?" Lucy asked nervously. I could practically see sweat drops sliding down her forehead I grinned.

"I want to know, too!" I said, raising my hand.

Jellal walked towards us and crossed his arms. He smiled and looks down at the two of us who were sitting on the bed, "I might be able to create a…_link_ between the two of you."

Lucy stared at him for a few moments and then looked at me. I smiled, nodding vigorously. She shrunk back, "Ew! No!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded, launching myself towards her. I hung off of her broad shoulders and laughed, "Please, please, please, please, please, please—"

"Stop it!" she shouted, laughter in her voice.

"I won't stop it until you say yes! Please, please, please, please, please…"

"Fine, fine!" she said, shoving me off. I fell back against the pillows and grinned some more. It was always fun being with Lucy, no matter what situation we were in. She was my partner in crime, and I couldn't have asked for a better one.

"Well, I'm guessing that I have permission to do this, then?" Jellal asked.

"Just do it," Gray said, standing beside Jellal.

"Will it…hurt them?" Levy asked.

"Definitely not," Jellal answered.

"This Sonoma person may not be our caster, but we can't just let her go. If there's even the slightest suspicion, we should follow the lead. If she's innocent, no harm no foul," Erza said, putting a comforting hand on Lucy's shoulder. I'd noticed that Lucy was troubled ever since she'd mentioned Sonoma. Since Lucy was probably the kindest and most compassionate person I'd ever met, I could imagine that accusing Sonoma would upset Lucy. I sat beside her and leaned against her shoulder lightly in an attempt to comfort her. She noticed and smiled, nodding her head slightly.

"Alright. Don't move. Essentially, Natsu, you'll be slipping into Lucy's memories. Make sure to get Sonoma's scent while you're in there. I can only do it for so long," Jellal said, positioning a hand next to both Lucy's and my head.

"Alright," I said, nodding resolutely. I looked over to Lucy.

"Do we really have to do this? It's…creepy," Lucy said, looking nervous and shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

I grinned, "You know you want to." I leaned close and raised an eyebrow. Her face turned red and she pushed me away, "No! No I _didn't _know that!"

I smiled. Man it was fun messing with Lucy. I guess being so close to her made it ok to mess with her. She didn't take me seriously. Being so close to someone that you can say anything to them is a good feeling. Of course, it's the same with the rest of my teammates and guild mates, but something was different when I was with Lucy. This may sound strange, but I felt like we were closer…which was strange, because I'd met her years after I met the rest of the guild. I guess being through so much together made it easy for us to become close.

Lucy took a deep breath and then looked up at Jellal, "Alright." Jellal nodded in response and glanced between the two of us, "You'll need to establish some physical contact otherwise it won't work."

Lucy grumbled something and then held out her hand to me. I happily took it and smiled as our fingers entwined. It felt like everyone in the room was holding their breath. Lucy closed her eyes and so did I. I could feel the spell being cast on us. Before I knew it my eyes snapped open.

I was standing outside of Lucy's place on the edge of the canal. I heard the water rushing only a few feet away and took in the rest of my surroundings. I realized that Lucy was standing in front of me, Plue in her arms. I smiled and started to walk towards her. I had a heart attack—not literally—when I realized that my entire body was transparent. I shook of the shock. "Luce," I said, walking towards her. She didn't look up. I waved a hand on front of her eyes. She didn't flinch. I reached forward to poke her face and had another heart attack—still not literally—when my hand slipped clean through her. I realized then that I wasn't really here. I remembered that this was Lucy's memory.

"Hey, beautiful! Smile like that and it'll freeze on your face!" called one of the weird guys who were always passing by Lucy's house. I made a mental note to track them down and confirm that they weren't Lucy's stalkers. I figured that they were yelling out to Lucy, but then realized that they were actually talking to the other woman who was walking towards Lucy. She cocked her head as if she were trying to figure out what the two men were talking about.

"Don't mind them. They talk to me all the time," Lucy said. The girl looked up and immediately stared at Plue. Plue waved at the girl and emitted his trademark _Pun, Puuuun _sound.

"Oh, this is Plue. He's a dog," Lucy said and smiled friendlily. The girl looked skeptical. "A dog?" she asked.

Lucy nodded, "I try not to think about it." I smiled. Sometimes how nice Lucy was amazed me. I guess her friendly nature was only one of the things I liked about her.

The girl laughed quietly. "So, what's your name?" Lucy asked, "I'm Lucy."

"I'm Sonoma," she replied. I started. So _this _was our number one suspect. She seemed like a nice enough girl. It made sense that Lucy didn't feel great about telling us about her. Sonoma smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Sonoma," Lucy said as she stuck out her hand to shake Sonoma's. I watched Sonoma's face grow pale and contort into a frown. Sonoma pulled her hand away.

"Something wrong?" Lucy asked, confused and a little worried. Her good nature wouldn't allow her to not be worried when someone acted strangely. She was probably worried that Sonoma was feeling sick or something. I couldn't help but smile again.

"You're a member of Fairy Tail?" Sonoma asked.

"Yeah?" Lucy answered. Sonoma immediately turned away and pulled the hood up on her capish-thing. Lucy shouted something, but I couldn't understand it. The world around me was beginning to shimmer and fade away. I suddenly remember what my mission was. I took in a deep breath as Sonoma passed me by. I had it. I'd memorized her smell.

My eyes snapped open and I realized that I was breathing hard. I shook my head to rid myself of the strange floating feeling I had. Lucy opened her eyes and blinked a few times, "Nothing happened."

"What are you talking about? I saw _everything_!" I said, excited.

"Somehow I thought that would be more dramatic," Lucy said. I realized that we were still holding hands but didn't make a move to withdraw my hand from hers. I liked the feeling of her warmth and secretly hoped that she wouldn't notice.

"So? Did you see her?" Gray asked impatiently.

I nodded, "I got it."

"Excellent. Then we can start searching tomorrow, yes?" Erza said.

"I'd prefer to break this spell as soon as possible," Jellal said, annoyed.

"Join the club, buddy," Gajeel grumbled. Levy patted his arm and smiled sweetly.

"She didn't seem like someone who would cast the spell, though," I said, frowning.

"We should still search for her," Gray said, sitting on his bed again. Juvia immediately sat beside him.

"I still don't like it," I said, "But I'll do it."

"Tomorrow it is, then," Lucy sighed. I squeezed her hand and she smiled weakly.

"I really hope it wasn't Sonoma," Lucy whispered.

I leaned against her shoulder and let my head rest there, "Me too, Luce."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the semi-short chapter. Oh well. On a completely separate note, don't forget to leave me a review! In my sad life, reviews are my valentines. Oh, on a completely related note: Happy Valentines Day! Look forward to the next chapter, (which will be coming soon).**

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"Just in case this person is dangerous, I want you to stay close to me, alright?" I said.

She sighed, "She's not going to be dangerous."

"I don't care. I want you close to me." I realized that what I'd just said sounded differently than I'd meant it to...how did I mean for it to sound?


	8. Chapter 8

**Gajeel's POV**

I tugged on my heavy boots, which were now much too big for me because I had lady feet. Of course, my lady feet only made me angrier than I already was. I growled as I wiggled my toes inside of my boots, unhappy with the empty space inside. It was a reminder of the annoying spell that had been cast on me.

I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and looked up. Levy stood over me, smiling, "Don't let it get to you. I'll fix all of this soon enough."

"You don't even know if it was this Sonoma girl who cast the spell," I growled. I felt my anger slip away from me. Somehow Levy had that effect on me.

"It doesn't matter if she is or isn't, we'll figure this all out soon enough," she said, sitting beside me. It bothered me that she towered over me. I found myself sitting up straighter.

I sighed and closed my eyes, nodding slightly, "Alright. I guess I trust you."

She laughed a little, "You guess?"

"I guess." I opened my eyes and looked at her. I felt something stir deep down when she stared back at me, though I wasn't sure what it was.

"Just in case this person is dangerous, I want you to stay close to me, alright?" I said.

She sighed, "She's not going to be dangerous."

"I don't care. I want you close to me." I realized that what I'd just said sounded differently than I'd meant it to...how did I mean for it to sound?

She stared at me, a little shocked. A slight hint of pink crossed her cheeks and she hid her eyes behind her hair. "Ok. I'll stay with you," she said, "And…you should stay with me…"

I smiled. That was exactly the answer I wanted, "Of course." She leaned towards me and smiled. I found myself leaning towards her, my muscles moving on their own.

"Guys! You ready to go? Natsu says he picked up the scent," Gray said, barging in.

"Great timing, Gray," I growled. He grinned a little and then slowly backed up, easing the door shut behind him. Levy cleared her throat and got to her feet. She smiled at me, "We should go."

"Yeah…we should," I said, standing beside her. We headed for the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Levy's POV<strong>

_Did that really just happen? Did I imagine that? _My mind was reeling as we followed behind Natsu. Gajeel's footsteps were right behind mine, his big boots thunking against the cobblestones. I listened closely, taking in every sound he made. Occasionally he would sigh deeply, most likely out of boredom. Since I was listening to him so closely, I was able to react quickly when he tripped. I caught him and he clung to my shirt. He growled, "Stupid boots."

I laughed and helped him return to his vertical position, "Shouldn't you just…not wear them?"

He looked horrified, "Not wear them? That would be admitting defeat!" He stalked off and I jogged to catch up to him again. It only took me a few strides because his legs were so much shorter than mine were.

We walked side by side, occasionally our arms bumped and a tingling sensation shot through my body, causing my face to heat up. I'd look at the ground so that no one would notice. I was sure that if Lucy noticed, she'd ask me about it. I did my best to hide it, but it was nearly impossible. I'd known from the start why I'd ended up in the infirmary with everyone…who it was that I was in love with. Unfortunately, I was walking right beside him and he seemed unfazed.

I kept replaying the moment in the infirmary over and over again in my head. What would have happened if Gray hadn't walked in? Would I have kissed him? Would he have kissed me? Had Gajeel seemed frustrated when we'd been stopped? My mind was buzzing when I smacked into the person walking in front of me, which so happened to be Erza. She grabbed my wrist and gestured in front of them. Natsu had paused. It felt like we hadn't been walking long, but I guess we had been. Maybe my mind, being so preoccupied, had made the minutes pass more quickly than they actually had.

"I think she's in here," Natsu said, straightening. He made sure to stand close to Lucy to comfort her.

"Alright, let's go in," Jellal said, leading the way.

* * *

><p><strong>Jellal's POV<strong>

I pushed the door open and took in my surroundings. I was inside what seemed to be a café of sorts. Small tables were set up in the center of the room and booths lined the walls. Large windows looked out over the street where we'd just been walking.

"Hi, can I help you?" asked a waitress, bounding up to us. I stared at her and then turned to Lucy, "Is she in here?"

"Don't be rude," Erza scolded. She walked up to the waitress and said, "Has a girl called Sonoma come in here recently?"

"Yeah, I think Sonoma was her name. I just brought her the check. She saw you and then asked for her check. She went out the back way," said the waitress, pointing to the door at the very back of the café. I scowled and turned to Lucy and Natsu, "Good work, you two. Looks like we've found the culprit."

"She's not a culprit…that makes her sound like she stole something," Lucy protested as we headed for the back door.

"She did steal something…my dignity," I grumbled as I swung the door open. I stepped out into the alleyway.

"Which way?" I asked, looking to my left and right.

"Left," Natsu said, sniffing the air. I nodded and crouched into position. My magic swirled around me and I took off. My meteor magic was useful when I was chasing people. You'd be surprised how often I have to chase people.

I soared into the air and scanned the alleys behind the buildings for the girl. Of course, there were a lot of people. There was one, however, that was running as if her life depended on it.

"There," said a voice. I whirled around and saw Erza, having requipped so that she could come with me. I smiled to myself and nodded. We both dove, closing in on the girl in seconds. She yelped as I snatched her out of the sky. She struggled, "Put me down! I didn't do anything!"

"Only guilty people say that," I said, "And I'd stop struggling if I were you…I mean, unless you want to die."

She looked down to her toes, which were dangling high above ground. She yelped and grabbed at me, clutching my shirt tightly.

"Put me down! Oh, God! Put me down!" she screeched.

"Calm down, if he drops you, I'll catch you. We're not going to hurt you, we just need your help," Erza said, lowering herself so that she could see Sonoma better.

"Why would I help members of Fairy Tail?" she hissed. I growled and dropped her the last few feet as I landed in the alley again. The golden glow that surrounds me when I use meteor magic faded. Sonoma was shaking and curled up into a ball, "Was that really necessary?"

"No, but I don't take kindly to being turned into a woman," I said, crossing my arms.

"Are you alright?" Lucy asked, kneeling beside Sonoma.

"I'm fine," she said, sitting up and leaning against the wall of the café.

"Were you the one that cast this spell on us?" Natsu asked. His voice was gentle, which annoyed me. I know I was being a little harsh—maybe if she hadn't made a run for it I wouldn't be so angry—but I didn't really care. Erza elbowed me and I grunted. I nodded, signaling that I understood why she was annoyed with me.

Sonoma sighed, "How did you figure out it was me?"

"I—" Lucy began, but Natsu cut her off. "I followed your smell," he said. Sonoma narrowed her eyes, but didn't say anything.

"We need you to tell us the words you used for the spell…so we can undo it," Gajeel said.

"Yeah, ok," Sonoma said, reaching for her pocket.

"You're being unusually cooperative," Juvia said.

"Well, it's not like I have much of a choice. Besides, judging by the fact that I was just flying up in the air, the spell didn't work…"

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"It was supposed to take away the entire Fairy Tail guild's magic…"

"Well, instead it changed our genders," Gray grumbled.

"Yeah, I can see that," she said, pulling a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket. She handed it to Levy. "Those are the words…just take them," she said. She stuck out her wrists. We all stared at her.

"What are you doing?" Natsu asked, leaning forward.

"You're going to arrest me right. Come on, cuff me," she said, completely serious.

"We're not going to arrest you!" Lucy said, "But can I ask you something?"

"Obviously," Sonoma said.

"Why did you do it?" Lucy asked, kneeling beside Sonoma. She didn't look angry or annoyed…just curious.

"I've seen the destruction that Fairy Tail can cause…I guess I just wanted it to stop," she said, letting her head slouch.

Lucy laughed and Sonoma's head snapped up in surprise, "That makes sense. I can't blame you."

"_What_?" Sonoma said, shock clearly showing on her face.

"We destroy a lot. I always figured that someone would take action against that," Erza said.

"Yeah, well _I _didn't destroy anything," I said, "Actually, I'm not even part of this guild."

Erza draped her arm over my shoulder and I scowled, "Cheer up, Jellal. We'll be back to normal soon."

I took in a deep breath, held it, and then let it out slowly, "You're right. Sorry."

"Apparently I messed up in more ways than one," Sonoma grumbled, "It wasn't supposed to affect anyone outside of the guild."

"It's most likely because he's an ex-Fairy Tail member," Levy pointed out, examining the piece of paper. Natsu stepped forward and offered Sonoma a hand. She stared at it for a few seconds before taking it. She nodded respectfully as she got to her feet, "I'm not sorry."

"We know," Lucy said, smiling, "We'll let you go, but don't do it again."

She scowled, "I guess it was pretty stupid…I just didn't want anything else to be destroyed."

Lucy hugged Sonoma and her eyes went wide in shock, "I turned you into a man and you _still _want to hug me?!"  
>"Yep!" Lucy said. She squeezed Sonoma tightly and then let go. Sonoma stared after us as we walked away. Lucy was smiling as we left the alley. I found myself smiling, too.<p>

Erza nudged me and I nudged her back. We didn't have to say anything to understand what the other was thinking, so we didn't. We were quiet as we walked back to the guild, though the others were talking nonstop. Erza and I just walked in silence, occasionally glancing at each other. I smiled. It was strangely nice being back at the guild. I began to wonder why I'd left in the first place. I'd said it was for training, but that was a lie. I was just tired…tired of everything. Maybe, just maybe, it hadn't been the right choice. Looking at Erza, catching her looking at me, I was almost certain that I'd missed it. I'd missed her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Announcement! There will be two more chapters after this one. The next two chapters will be full of romantic goodness, so look forward to it. Don't forget to leave a review! :)**

**Next Chapter Preview:**

For some reason I was nervous. I'm not sure why. I guess I wondered to myself whether everything that happened while we were under the spell was just that: a spell. I found myself wishing that the spell wouldn't wear off so that we could stay like this. I didn't want it to all fade into distant memory, just like a dream.

"Luce," he said. I looked at him and he smiled. He reached out and took my hand. That's when I knew it wouldn't fade away. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't just a spell.


	9. Chapter 9

**Levy's POV**

My brain was on a roll. I wanted to cheer it on, but at these times it was best to just let it roll. Thus far I hadn't come into any problems. I was pretty sure that I would be able to have the words to break the spell by noon.

"Gajeel, can you spare a moment?" I asked, not taking my eyes away from my book. I skimmed the pages, looking for a specific page. Thus far I hadn't found it, but I knew I would soon.

"Gajeel?" I repeated. I sighed and took off my wind-reader glasses. I set them down on the table and blinked a few times. Sometimes if I used those glasses for too long, they'd start to hurt my eyes. I rubbed my eyes and then opened them again, "Gajeel, I asked if you could—"

I stopped talking as soon as I realized that Gajeel was fast asleep. His head was slumped on top of one of the books I'd given him to read. He wasn't very helpful, but I admit, I'd wanted him to stay with me. It wasn't just because I would get lonely; actually, I'd probably have been fine. I just wanted Gajeel by my side, just like we'd promised.

I smiled and soon up, stretching my arms above my head. They dropped to my side. I deemed it appropriate to take a break from all the reading, figuring that if I kept exercising my brain it would explode. I sat down next to Gajeel and carefully slid the book out from under his head.

"Oh…this is the one I was going to ask you to find," I whispered to him, though I knew he wouldn't hear me. I set my head down on the table beside his. His eyelids fluttered and I wondered what he was dreaming about. I stared at him for a long time. Occasionally he would twitch, but other than that he was completely still. I reached forward and brushed a bit of his long, black hair from his face. I didn't like Gajeel without his piercings. It didn't seem like it was really him…but I knew it was. All I had to do was figure this out, and then I would have _my _Gajeel back…the one I knew and loved.

I froze up with that thought. I loved Gajeel. It was obvious. I guess I'd always known it, but this spell really opened up my eyes. I took a deep, semi-shaky breath. I leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "I love you," I whispered. I stood up and walked out of the room. I would get a quick walk in so that I could clear up my head before I started research again.

* * *

><p><strong>Gajeel's POV<strong>

She didn't think I was awake. I held in a laugh, forcing my face to remain neutral. I was going to scare her or something. Yeah…that was it. I was going to jump up and yell. She'd probably have a heart attack, but it would be priceless.

I listened closely and she walked over to me. She sat down beside me and slid the book out from under my head, "Oh…this is the one I was going to ask you to find." Seriously? She'd just handed that book to me a few minutes ago. Did she not remember that?

There was a long moment of silence. Somehow I didn't want to break it. I would wait until she stood up to scare her. That was my plan. She brushed some of my hair away behind my ear. I could never have guessed what she was about to do.

"I love you," she whispered. I didn't move. I didn't make a sound. I just stayed there, shocked. She got up and walked away. I raised my head and opened my eyes. I blinked a few times. A flurry of emotions flew past me. Shock…mostly shock. A little bit of anger, because she'd never told me before. There was also another emotion, though. My chest felt strange…tight. I sat up, walked around the room, and then sat down again. What was that last emotion? I didn't know.

"Gajeel, I'm back. Nice to see you're awake," Levy said, re-entering the room. I froze up and turned around, pretending to look at the oh-so-fascinating bookshelf.

"Yeah, I noticed," I said, but my voice sounded husky. I cleared my throat, "Welcome back."

"I swear I've almost got it. Just a little longer," she said. I heard the legs of her chair slide along the ground as she pulled it out from the table. She stayed silent after that, focusing on her books and research again. Even after minutes ticked by, I didn't relax.

* * *

><p><strong>Jellal's POV<strong>

"I'm sorry I left," I said. It took a lot of courage to say those words, but they were true. Erza and I had been sitting at the bar for a long time, waiting for Levy to finish her research. We'd sat in silence until I'd spoken.

"Don't be. It was your choice. You shouldn't regret it," she said, sipping her drink.

"But I do," I said, staring at her. She looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"Then why didn't you come back?"

I was silent for a moment as I considered my answer, "When I first left I felt…empty? I thought it was because I didn't have a guild. I thought it was because I was alone again."

"And that wasn't why?" she asked, looking at her drink or anywhere other then at me.

"No…that wasn't why," I said quietly.

"And…"

I took a deep breath and leaned forward. I took her drink from her hands and set it down on the bar. I took her hand in mine, making sure that it was hidden underneath the bar table. She squeaked, which was very unlike Erza.

"The reason I felt empty was because you weren't there," I whispered. She looked away and I smiled. Every word I'd said was true. I didn't tell the truth as often as I should have. I lied when I left the guild. I said that it was for training…that I wanted to become stronger. The truth was…well…I didn't have a reason. I just couldn't stay in Fairy Tail any longer. I'd thought there was nothing there for me…but I was wrong. So wrong.

* * *

><p><strong>Erza's POV<strong>

My face was on fire, (and it wasn't because of Natsu's flames). I looked away from him, trying to hide it. I knew it wouldn't work, though, because I was pretty confident that even my ears were turning bright red. I repeated his words over and over in my head. 'The reason I felt empty was because you weren't there'. The one person I loved the most in the entire world had just said those words to me.

"Erza," he said, "I'm sorry I left." He held my hand tighter as I turned back to him.

"I just…I was stupid. I didn't think it through…and I left you here," he said. He covered his face with one hand and I reached forward and lowered it with my own hand.

I smiled at him, but he wouldn't meet my eyes. "I told you…don't be sorry. You're here now, aren't you?"

He finally looked at me and slowly nodded, "I'm here."

"Thank you…for that," I whispered, not releasing his hand.

There was a long silence in which we simply held each other's hands. We didn't need to say anything. We just sat in silence. It was uncomfortable or awkward…it was blissful silence.

"You're welcome." I smiled at his words.

* * *

><p><strong>Juvia's POV<strong>

"So…do you think they'll be done soon?" I asked excitedly.

"It's only morning, Juvia. Calm down," he replied. He tossed his dark hair out of his eyes with a flick of his head. He grinned at me. I was pretty sure it was directed at my impatience, though.

"You're right…sorry," I said. I felt a little unhappy, I suppose. Actually, I felt very unhappy. I wasn't going to show that to Gray, though. I was determined not to.

"You seem sad," he said. I snapped to attention.

"I'm not sad!" I insisted, but it sounded too false. I couldn't hide the truth. I was sad. Well, I felt a little farther from sad and a little closer to devastated. I'd told him. I'd told Gray that I loved him. He didn't care. That's what I saw. That's what I knew. And that hurt.

"I don't believe you," he said.

I sighed and nodded, "Of course not."

"Juvia?"

"It's fine. It's not like you care anyway…right?" I said. I got to my feet suddenly and left the table. He stood up too and followed after me.

"Juvia just tell me what's wrong. I'll fix it if I can. I don't like seeing you like this," he said.

"I think you know what's wrong…you just don't want to acknowledge it. Leave me alone, Gray. I can't do this." I felt tears well up as I walked away from him. I didn't dare look over my shoulder for fear that I would run into his arms. Now wasn't the time to do anything like that. I knew that. I knew it all too well. And it hurt. It all hurt.

* * *

><p><strong>Gray's POV<strong>

I stared after her and she walked away. My chest hurt. I clutched it and furrowed my brow. I felt a cold sweat break out and went to sit down. I practically collapsed into the booth, putting my feet up on the table. I closed my eyes. _Yeah, Juvia. I know. I know, but I don't know. I can't give you an answer. All I know is that right now I feel like shit…and it's all because I hurt you like that._ Another stab of pain pierced my chest.

"Gray!" yelled a voice. Judging by how obnoxiously loud it was I figured it was Natsu. I opened one eye to see if I was right. Just as suspected, Natsu was running towards me. Lucy followed behind him. I closed my eye again and groaned. It was so not a good time to do this Natsu. I anticipated his words and placed mental bets on whether or not I guessed correctly.

"Let's fight! I want to see what it would be like to fight as a lady," he said. I opened my eyes and sat up straight. Yep…I'd guessed it correctly.

"No," I said.

He frowned, "What?"

"I said no, Natsu. Not right now."

"You're just a stupid stripper-popsicle," he grumbled. Normally I would have gotten up the moment he said those words and whoop his ass, but I couldn't right now. I felt horrible and I wasn't up to a fight. Natsu waited for me to react, no doubt expected me to leap up and battle him. I didn't.

"Gray, are you ok?" Lucy asked. I nodded exhaustedly.

"I'm just a little out of it," I replied.

"That's not a little…that's a lot," she said. Natsu scooted over and pulled himself onto her lap. She didn't protest. Instead she whispered something into his ear. He nodded and whispered something back. This went on for a few minutes, them whispering and me straining to hear their words. I didn't manage to hear a single one. When Lucy started giggling and Natsu grinned I stood up, annoyed.

"I'm leaving. Don't follow me. I need to find Juvia," I recited as if I were reading it from a paper. I walked away, shaking my head at how close those two were.

* * *

><p><strong>Natsu's POV<strong>

"Juvia?" Lucy asked.

I shrugged, still sitting on her lap. "Like I would know."

"I sort of want to find out, though," she said.

"Let's follow him, then," I said, sliding off of her lap. She grabbed me around the stomach and pulled me back on her lap.

"Where are you going? We can't do that! That's called an invasion of privacy!" she hissed.

I nodded, "Yeah…that's the point."

I tried to get off her lap again but she held me tight, "Don't be stupid, Natsu."

I slumped against her chest, "Fine." I sighed, "What are we going to do then? I'm bored."

"We'll just wait patiently until Levy is done with the spell," Lucy said matter-of-factly.

"I'm not a patient person," I mumbled, letting my head slump against her chest.

"Yeah, well…I'm not either. That doesn't mean I'm about to entertain myself by stalking people."

"It's not stalking. It's innocently following unknowing victims."

"That's my exact definition of stalking…without the 'innocently' part. You just added that in to make it seem like it was socially acceptable."

"I bet it is in some countries."

"Not here, though."

"Doesn't mean we can't do it."

"Yes it does."

"Fine. You win."

"Wow, you gave up easily."

"I don't like arguing with you."

"I don't like arguing with you either." I craned my neck to look at her.

"Great minds think alike," she said. She smiled. I couldn't help but smile back.

"Yeah," I said, sighing and curling up in her lap.

"You're just going to sit on me?" she asked, "Because I can't feel my legs."

I reached up and put a finger on her lips, "Shhh, Lucy. Don't ruin the moment."

"What moment?"

"The moment where I'm about to go to sleep on your lap," I said, smiling and shutting my eyes.

"No! Natsu! I won't be able to move my legs if you—"

"You're ruining it."

She growled but didn't say anything else. I laughed a little and then actually began to fall asleep. Pretty soon I was slipping towards unconsciousness, surrounded by Lucy's warm arms.

* * *

><p><strong>Lucy's POV<strong>

Natsu was asleep. Great. My legs were starting to tingle and cramp up. Somehow, though, it was ok. I leaned back against the wall and thunked my head against it. Natsu moved around in my arms and then relaxed again. I smiled and propped my chin up on his head. He mumbled something, but I wasn't sure what it was. After a little while he started giggling in his sleep, which I thought was absolutely adorable.

"Luce! Luce I got it! Everyone!" Levy shouted, running into the room. I perked up immediately and shook Natsu awake. Admittedly, I was a little sad to disturb his giggle fest.

"Mmm?" Natsu said.

I smiled, "Levy did it. Come on." I practically picked him up and carried him to the other side of the room where Levy was sitting down at the table.

"We knew Levy could do it," said Jet.

"Of course!" Droy chimed in.

"Shut up," Gajeel growled. They complied. Immediately.

"Come on, Lev. Let's do it!" I said, "I miss my cute body!"

"I think you're cute," Natsu said sleepily. A yawn quickly followed.

"Shut up, Natsu," I said though my face got a little hotter.

"We're back," Gray said as he joined us.

"Sorry, everyone," Juvia said as she made a point of standing far away from Gray.

"Looks like there's something going on there," Natsu whispered. I nodded.

"They're probably in love…if you think about who was in that room it makes sense," I said.

Natsu nodded and then his eyes went wide. I raised an eyebrow but he didn't answer my silent question. He just seemed to be…thinking? His face contorted and he stroked his chin. He looked weird when he was actually thinking.

"Alright, everyone is here right?" Levy said, "Well, it doesn't matter. It will work even if they're not here."

"Just do it, child," Gramps said. I smiled. Clearly he wasn't too fond of his female body. Honestly, neither was I.

For some reason I was nervous. I'm not sure why. I guess I wondered to myself whether everything that happened while we were under the spell was just that: a spell. I found myself wishing that the spell wouldn't wear off so that we could stay like this. I didn't want it to all fade into distant memory, just like a dream.

"Luce," he said. I looked at him and he smiled. He reached out and took my hand. That's when I knew it wouldn't fade away. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't just a spell. Somehow I'd grown closer to Natsu through all of this…and I knew when he held my hand that nothing would change.

Levy took a deep breath and recited some words from a piece of paper that was pretty crumbled. I was pretty sure they were in a different language because I had no idea what she was saying or how she managed to figure those words out. They didn't sound anything like the ones Sonoma had given us.

Once she'd finished we all waited for a flash of lights or a loud noise. Nothing happened.

"Did you do it?" I asked, looking down at myself. I was most definitely still a man.

"I-I recited it perfectly. I don't know what I did wrong," Levy said. She started to shrink back, which was hard for such a tall person, but Gajeel put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. I felt my stomach drop and a sense of dread descend upon me.

It didn't work.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Aaaand disaster strikes! You'll just have to read the much anticipated final chapter to find out what happens next, (and trust me, you don't want to miss it). Thanks for keeping with it and don't forget to leave a review telling me how good/awful it was! **

**Next Chapter Preview:**

"Lucy, come here," he said. His voice sounded firm and determined.

I turned around. He grabbed me and pulled me to him. I didn't protest or pull away. This was what exactly what I wanted, after all.


	10. Chapter 10 - Final

**I'm sad to see it end, but the final chapter is the best out of them all, (in my honest opinion). I do hope that you like it and bow to you gratuitously for reading the entire thing! Without further adieu, the final chapter:**

* * *

><p><strong>Lucy's POV<strong>

I curled up on my bed, letting my head fall against my pillow. I shut my eyes tightly and took a deep breath. I'd almost immediately rushed home after I'd found out that I'd be a man for the rest of my life. I hugged myself tighter. I didn't want to think about that cruel reality.

"Lucy," said a gentle voice. I didn't open my eyes, but I knew who it was. He brushed some of my hair out of my face. "You know I'll stay with you no matter what," he said.

I cracked on eye open and saw Loki looking down at me gently. His hazel eyes seemed to set me at ease a bit. "I know that," I said.

"We'll figure it out. There's always a solution," he said.

I sat up slowly, "You think that there's another way?"

"There's got to be," he said, "But I have something that might cheer you up."

I raised and eyebrow, "Why am I scared?"

He laughed cheerfully. It was a sound the filled me with warmth. He put a hand on my head, "Just trust me, ok? I'll go back now, but call me if you need anything."

I nodded, "You know I will." I watched as golden light surrounded him and he shimmered into nonexistence. I wondered what the 'something that might cheer me up' was until I heard a knock on the door. I launched myself out of bed and bounded over to the door. I pulled it open.

"Luce, Loki said that you were down. I came to cheer you up," Natsu said. He smiled widely and I felt my insides crumble. As soon as I saw his happiness and his optimism I felt tears stream down my face. "Hey! I didn't come here to make you cry! Stop!" Natsu said hysterically. I laughed weakly and wiped my eyes. Unfortunately, however, my tears kept coming.

"I-I can't," I said. Natsu stepped into the room and shut the door behind himself. He took my hand and led me to the bed.

"Sit down," he commanded. I complied and looked up at him. I hiccupped and covered my mouth, a little embarrassed. Natsu sat down beside me. "If there's anyone who shouldn't cry, it's you. You're always smiling and happy, and that always makes me happy. I don't like seeing you cry, especially when I know that I can't do anything about it. Luckily, though, I can do something right now."

"What?"

Natsu leaned forward and pressed his forehead to mine, "Lucy, we'll get through this. We always do. This is no reason for you to shed tears." I whimpered and nodded. He wrapped his arms around my shoulder and hugged me tightly. I cried into his shoulder for about another minute before I ran dry. I couldn't cry when Natsu had said those words to me. I'm not sure why, but Natsu could always cheer me up.

"Better?" he asked.

I nodded, "Yeah. Thanks." I sniffed and slumped down against my mattress. I closed my eyes. "All that crying tired me out," I mumbled. I sighed and rolled onto my side.

"I guess I'll go, then. Sleep well, alright?" he said. I opened my eyes as he stood up to leave. I grabbed his wrist before he got far. He turned around and looked at me.

"You don't…you don't have to leave if you don't want to," I said, staring at my sheets. I let go of his wrist and shyly looked up at him. He was smiling larger than I'd ever seen him smile before. He sat down again.

"I thought you were tired, though," he said.

"I never said I was going to sleep, though," I said…which was the truth.

"Thanks," he mumbled. He lay down sideways on my bed, his legs hanging off of the side.

"For what?" I asked and I lay down beside him.

He was silent for a while before he whispered, "Nothing." We stayed like that and talked for a long time. We didn't talk about anything important, but somehow it made me happy. I don't remember this, but I eventually fell asleep.

**(TIMESKIP)**

I was warm…I remember that much. My mind was a little hazy, but I was semi-conscious. I knew that I was warm and that I was still sleepy. I didn't know why I was warm though. I figured it wouldn't do any harm to open my eyes and discover the truth for myself. My eyes slowly slid open and it took me a moment to register where I was. My home: check. My bed: check. In Natsu's arms: check.

I bolted upright, "Natsu!" At first I'd thought I was hallucinating or dreaming, but I wasn't. This was real…it was too realistic to be a dream.

"Huh?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. He sat up and looked at me. He blinked a few times, "L-Lucy!"

"I know!"

"Did this happen while we were sleeping?" he asked. He stared at his hands and patted his chest.

"It must have. I don't remember changing back," I said. That's when I realized that I was feeling a draft. I looked down and saw that my shirt was wide open. It was no big deal for a guy to reveal his chest, but I wasn't a guy anymore. I squealed and covered my chest with my arms. "Why don't you have a shirt on?" I asked.

Natsu picked something up and showed it to me, "This is my shirt."

"Oh…" He was holding a shredded piece of fabric. It had probably become too small for him when he returned to his normal size and ripped to pieces. I was glad that same thing hadn't happened to his pants. I couldn't stop smiling.

"But…why are we back now?" he asked.

"I don't care! I'm just really happy right now!" I practically shouted. I launched myself towards him and hug-tackled him. He laughed and hugged me back. I ran my fingers through his short, spikey, pink hair. Everything was back to normal. My face suddenly warmed up…everything? Was everything really that same again?

"Let's go to the guild. The others might have changed back also," I said, rushing the words out of my mouth. I couldn't look Natsu in the face for some reason. I immediately got off of him and headed for the door.

"Lucy," he said. I paused when he grabbed my wrist. It struck me as ironic that we'd switched positions. Last night I'd clung to him and now he was clinging to me. I didn't say anything, just stood there. My face was burning and my heart was beating quickly. It scared me. I wasn't sure how to deal with it.

"There's something I have to tell you," he said. His voice was serious and he gripped my wrist tighter. I didn't turn to look at him. I pulled my arm from his hand and started towards the door again. For some reason I was scared. The beating of my heart overwhelmed me.

"Luce!" Natsu said. He grabbed my arm and pulled me to him. I didn't fight him. For some reason I knew that I couldn't fight him. This was Natsu. I let him pull me against his chest and wrap his arms around me. "Don't leave…ok?" His voice sounded shaky and weak. My hands were pressed against his chest and I realized that his heart was beating just as quickly as mine was. I felt it beat underneath of my fingertips.

"Natsu," I breathed.

He buried his face in my shoulder, "Just…don't leave. Not yet."

"Ok…" I said quietly, "What's wrong. You're scaring me."

"I need to tell you something."

"O-Ok."

He didn't let go of me even when he started talking, "Recently I keep remembering this one day." He paused and I waited. "I was walking in Hargeon. It was sunny and warm. Happy was with me also. I charged into a crowd of people like and idiot…" I knew what day he was talking about. "That's when I saw you, Luce. You're my best friend."

"And you're mine," I said back quietly. He tightened his arms around me.

"But that's not all. I think that after everything…I…" I pulled away and looked at him. His eyes were hidden behind his hair so I reached up and brushed it out of his face. His cheeks were bright red and so were his ears. He looked up at me with a look of determination in his eyes. "I think that I love you!"

I took a step back and stared at him. My heart was beating so hard that it hurt. I clutched it and inspected Natsu's face. No…he was serious. This wasn't a joke. "Wh-What?"

"It doesn't make any sense to me either! All I know is that when I'm around you I can't stop looking at you and my chest feels strange and when I see you around other guys I get annoyed and even when you're not with me I'm always thinking about you!"

I turned around and took deep breaths. Natsu loved me? Did all those things mean love? I didn't know. I'd never loved anyone else before. Then it hit me.

"I-I'm the same," I said quietly. If those things meant love, how long had I been in love with him? "I like the way you laugh in your sleep. I like how you are kind to everyone and friendly. I like how you'd fight for your friends no matter what. I admire your strength and your courage. It makes me happy when I think about you and all of the time we've spent together. _You_ make me happy."

"Lucy, come here," he said. His voice sounded firm and determined.

I turned around. He grabbed me and pulled me to him. I didn't protest or pull away. This was what exactly what I wanted, after all…and now I knew it.

He circled one arm around my waist and held my face with the other. He leaned down and kissed me. My eyes slowly closed as his warmth surrounded me. I shivered at his touch and circled my arms around his neck. His lips moved over mine and I couldn't help but smile. When he pulled away his face lingered near mine. Our lips were barely touching. "I never knew that kissing the girl you love would be so…"

"Amazing?" I offered.

"That word works," he said, laughing softly. He leaned down and kissed me again, gentler this time. He kissed my neck and my jaw. My eyes and my forehead. My lips.

I giggled, "Natsu we have to get to the guild." He rested his head in my shoulder and his pink hair tickled my nose. I slid my hands down his chest and strong stomach muscles. He grabbed my wrists.

"If you do that we'll never get to the guild," he said. His voice sounded strained, as if it hurt him to stop me.

I smiled, "I know."

He stared at me for a few seconds, smiling. He didn't stop smiling. He studied my face as if to memorize every feature. "What?"

"You're really beautiful," Natsu sighed, "And now you're mine."

My face probably turned red, "And you're mine." We kissed again. I vaguely remembered that we should go to the guild, but what was the rush? I wasn't worried. We'd get there eventually.

* * *

><p><strong>Levy's POV<strong>

"Gajeel!" I yelled. I rocketed towards him and he looked up just in time to see my flying through the air. His eyes went wide as I tackled him. I laughed and hugged him, "I did it!" We were lying on the ground. I guess my tackle had more force that I'd predicted.

"You mean you were the one who did this?" he asked.

"You saw me do it! It's just that the words have sort of a delayed reaction. I should have seen this coming! It was actually pretty predictable. I think the only mistake I made was rushing the algorithm. I was just impatient is all."

Gajeel nodded, "I don't know what that means, but it sounds important."

"Yeah it is…and I was also a little distracted when I was working," I said. I sat up but stayed sitting on top of him. He propped himself up on his elbows but didn't tell me to get up.

"By what?" he asked.

I blushed, "By you."

"Oh…sorry." I think I must have been hallucinating—perhaps a mild side effect of the breaking of the spell—but I could have sword that I saw a trace of pink on his cheeks.

"It's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong," I said. I gave him a smile and then started to get off of him. Well, I would have if he didn't grab my waist and pull me down against him. I was crushed against his chest.

"I like you more like this. You're cuter this way," he grumbled.

I was frozen. I couldn't move. "I heard what you said…in the library yesterday," he said, "I was awake."

"WHAT!?" I practically screamed. I shut myself up when I realized that if I yelled anymore someone might come into the library and see us like this. That was not something that I wanted to happen.

"You told me that you love me," he said.

"I remember what I said!" I protested. I was still crushed against his chest, so I could see his face.

"Well…do you want to hear my answer?" he asked.

I didn't say anything. I couldn't. I was pretty confident that if I did attempt speech my voice would sound like a dying bird. That would be mortifying.

"Close your eyes…and keep 'em shut," he said. I wanted to argue, but I didn't. Oh my god, Gajeel knew that I loved him. I sort of wanted to sprint away, but I wouldn't get very far considering that his legs were twice as long as mine were. He'd catch up in seconds. I closed my eyes and sat up. There was a pause during which I wondered why he'd asked me to close his eyes. That was before I realized why.

I squeaked as his lips pressed gently against mine. I kept my eyes closed, though. His lips were strangely soft for such a rough-looking person. It was a quick kiss, but it still left me breathless. "Ok," he said, "That's all." I heard him stand up and walk towards the door. I opened my eyes a few seconds later. I touched my lips and stared after him. I could still feel his kiss. As I snapped back to reality I leapt to my feet and stumbled after him. I rounded the corner that led to the guildhall and saw him walking there. I sprinted after him and leapt onto his back and he barely kept his balance.

"Does that mean you love me?" I asked. I latched onto him, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. His ears turned red, but I couldn't see his face.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he groused.

I hugged him tighter, "I love you a lot, Gajeel."

"Stop saying that," he protested. I dropped to the ground and ran around so that I could see his face. I hugged him tightly around his chest.

"I'm happy," I said. I buried my face in his chest and smiled. I was ever happier when he slowly wrapped his arms around me in return.

* * *

><p><strong>Juvia's POV<strong>

Gray had tried to tell me something, but I hadn't listened to a word he said. I guess I already knew what he'd said. He'd told me that he didn't love me. That he wouldn't love me. What had I expected, though. I was the rain woman. I should have been used to rejection by now…but that didn't make it any easier.

I lay in my bed, my eyes closed and my hair falling over my face. I'd told Lucy that I wasn't coming in today. She asked me why. I told her it was nothing. It wasn't nothing, though. I knew I would get over it, though. I would be able to get past this. I just needed a little time. I was just going to take one day off. I heard a faint knock on my door and ignored it.

When the knock came again I didn't open my eyes, "Go away."

"Juvia I'm not going away!" yelled a voice. My eyes snapped open and I bolted upright.

"What are you doing here, Gray?" I demanded, getting up and walking over to the door. I placed my hand on it and waited for his answer.

"I came to find you," he said.

"In that case, you've found me. Now go away," I said. I turned to leave, but the room was suddenly filled with light. The door slammed against the wall when Gray swung it open. I whirled around and saw him standing there in the doorway. He was breathing hard and his eyes were angry. "What are you—"

"Juvia, did you listen to a word that I said yesterday?" he asked. He walked towards me and I backed up.

"I don't know what you're—"

"You heard my question, Juvia. Did you listen to me what I talked with you yesterday?" he demanded. My legs hit the frame of my bed and I collapsed onto it.

"I didn't listen to you because I knew what you were going to say!" I shouted. He froze and looked down at me. The only sound in my room was that of him breathing.

"I don't think you knew what I was going to say. I still don't think you do," he said quietly.

"My entire life I've been rejected by people. I didn't know why I thought that you would be any different," I whispered.

"Because _I'm _different!" he yelled. I flinched.

"I know you're different. Before I met you I'd never really loved anyone, and then there you were one day. We were enemies. I was going to kill you. Then…you saved my life. You told me that I should live. That's when I saw the sun for the first time. There had to be something different, something special about you for that to happen." My voice was quiet and I wasn't even sure if he'd heard me.

He sat down beside me, his knee touching mine, and shook his head. I couldn't see his face. "I don't really know what love is, but I've got a good enough idea."

I didn't move. I just waited. "Before any of this happened, I jumped into the canal—like and idiot—to save you even when I knew that you weren't in any danger. I thought I did it that because I was your friend, but I'm not sure any more. You said that I knew why you were angry, why you were upset. You were right. I did know. You were angry at me because I hadn't said anything…because I'd brushed off your confession."

"You had a right to be angry. I hurt you, and I know that. I know that all too well. Somehow, when you walked away from me, I felt like I'd just made a huge mistake. I gave it some thought, though. Why had it hurt me to reject you like that? Why did your pain seem like my own?"

He was quiet. I wasn't sure where he was going with this, but I listened anyway. I sat up, "And you came up with an answer?"

He nodded slowly and looked me in the eye, "I went after you that day and tried to tell you my answer, but you didn't listen to me. Do you want to know what I tried to tell you?"

I stared at him. The moonlight that shone through my window illuminated his face and made his eyes light up. I studied his face, trying to find a hint of what he was about to say, but didn't find any. We sat close to each other, and my heart was practically pounding out of my chest. "W-What was your answer?" I asked. For some reason, my voice felt raw. Gray leaned closer to me. Against my will, my eyes flitted to his lips.

"You've always been there, I guess. I never really noticed that you were there…until you left," he breathed. The distance between us slowly closed.

"And?" I whispered.

"_And _when you suddenly stopped loving me, and I hurt you, I felt…lonely."

"And?"

"And maybe I never noticed it, but…" He didn't have time to finish his sentence before our lips touched. It was a gentle kiss. His hand came up to the side of my face and he brushed my hair behind my ear. He pulled away briefly and then kissed me again. "Maybe it's not one-sided…"

I stared into his eyes. I was in a trance. He raised an eyebrow and waved his hand in front of my face, but I was still trying to determine if this was reality or another one of my stupid daydreams. "Juvia?" he asked, but his voice sounded strangely distant. Suddenly and rush of dizziness overwhelmed me and I keeled over. Luckily, my fall was short and stopped by a soft mattress. I vaguely registered Gray leaning over me and yelling my name. I'm pretty sure he picked me up, but I can't remember anything clearly. I wasn't sure where he was taking me, but if I was in Gray's arms, anywhere was fine…wait, had I just passed out because Gray kissed me? _Oh god…that's so humiliating!_

* * *

><p><strong>Erza's POV<strong>

I stepped outside of the guild. It was time for me to get a breather. A break from the festivities always does a girl some good. I shut the guild doors behind me and started walking. I already knew where I was going to go. There was a hill to the west of Magnolia that overlooked the entire town. At night, the lights looked like a sea of stars. That wasn't why I liked the place, though. I loved that place because it was the last place I'd seen Jellal…well, it was the last place I'd seen him before he'd come back. I suppose I was going there now out of pure habit.

I stretched my arms above my head as I walked. There were a few people out on the streets still, but none of them paid me any attention. It was a bit chilly without the sun out, and a slight wind made it even colder. I rubbed my arms to try and regain body heat. "Erza! Where are you going?" someone shouted. I turned around to see Mira running towards me.

I stopped walking and smiled, "Just for a walk."

"I figure you'd want to be with your friends right now. Well, with the exception of Gray…he's with Juvia in the infirmary."

"Infirmary? What happened?"

She frowned, "I'm really not sure. I asked, but Gray just blushed and wouldn't tell me anything. Something weird is going on. I'm pretty sure there's something going on between Gajeel and Levy. When I saw them, she was sitting on his lap and he was looking really awkward. Also, Natsu and Lucy were looking closer than usual. It's all just so exciting!"

I frowned, "The spring of their youths, huh?"

"Why do you look upset? You should be happy for them!" I stared at her and my shoulders slumped.

"What are you talking about? I am happy," I drawled. I'd tried to make it seem like I was telling the truth, but I'd failed.

Mira smiled mischievously, "It looks like you've been bitten by the little green monster."

"What does that even mean?"

"What I _mean _is that you're jealous that they've found the ones they truly love and you haven't."

"That's ridiculous!" I insisted.

She laughed, "And true!"

"I never—"

"Sorry! I have to get back to the guild. People are waiting for me to bring them their drinks. I'll be seeing you, alright," she called behind her back. Somehow she'd managed to run away. "I hope you find him soon, Erza!"

She disappeared back inside the guildhall. I frowned after her. I sighed and turned away. As I started to walk again I couldn't help but think one thing: she was wrong…and that's the problem. I did have someone that I loved more than anyone else. I had someone that I held close to my heart. The issue was that he didn't know. I doubted that he would find out anytime soon. That was probably because I'd told myself that I wouldn't tell him. He'd left a long time ago. I was happy that he was back, but now that the spell was broken he would most likely be leaving again soon. I wasn't going to tell him just so that he could turn me down. It would be more trouble than it was worth.

"You're a fool, Erza," I told myself. I was nearing the hill now. I envisioned the tall tree that stood on the top of the hill. I would always sit against it and look down at Magnolia. I would remember the first time I'd been there: the day Jellal had left me. He'd told me that he'd left the guild and that he might never come back. I'd felt my heart being ripped into a thousand pieces that day. Somehow, though, I'd managed to move on. When he'd returned I'd fallen in love with him all over again. I scolded myself for being stupid enough to fall for him again, but thought better of it. Love was just one of those things that people have no control over. It doesn't have anything to do with reasoning or sense…it's uncontrollable.

I sighed as I started up the hill to my spot. I walked along the shadow of the trunk of the tree, which was cast by the moonlight. I stopped short when I realized that there was another shadow beside it. At my feet was a person's shadow. I followed the dark silhouette to its source. Standing beside the tree, his hand against the bark, was Jellal.

I stared at him for a moment. He had his eyes closed and his hair was blowing gently in the wind. I brushed my own hair behind my ears so that it wouldn't obstruct my view. Somehow he looked sad, almost lonely standing there. Not only that, he looked…beautiful. It was like he was straight out of a painting. I smiled and took a deep breath. I hiked up the rest of the hill and stood beside him. His eyes were still closed.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" I asked. He jumped and his eyes suddenly opened.

"How long were you there?" he asked.

I laughed, "I just got here."

He nodded, "Oh." We were silent for a moment.

"I always thought they looked like stars," I said, clasping my hands behind my back.

"It's like the sky it reflected on the ground…it's beautiful," he said. I smiled and turned to him. I realized that he had already been looking at me.

"I came here a lot after you left," I said. The lock of hair that I'd pushed behind my ear had blown back into my face. I brushed it away again.

"You did?"

"Something happened here…that I always remembered," I said. I turned back to the lights of the town below us.

"What's that?" he asked.

"There was a man, once. He told me that he was leaving me in this very spot. Ever since then I've come here, hoping that he would miraculously be standing here, waiting underneath the branches of this tree. He never came back, though." Jellal was silent. "He came back recently, but I'm afraid. I'm afraid that he's going to leave again. I don't want him to leave, but I doubt that he has any reason to stay."

"And if he stayed?" Jellal said quietly. I turned to him and smiled. He stared at me.

"If he stayed, I would tell him something very important," I said.

"Well, I happen to know this man. I believe he told you that he regretted leaving. If that's true, why would he decide to leave again?" Jellal asked.

I stared, "Why would he stay?"

"He told me that there was something very important to him here. He once told me a story that was very similar to yours, actually. He said that once, a long time ago, he said goodbye to a woman and hadn't seen her since. When he finally returned to her, everything he'd felt when he'd left had resurfaced. He returned to the same spot where he'd left her so that he could remember exactly how he'd made the biggest mistake of his life."

"This man…he thought it was a mistake?" I asked. I stepped closer to him and he turned. He nodded slightly.

"Does that mean that he's staying…permanently?" I asked. I placed my hands on his chest. Jellal nodded against and stared down at me.

"Then I suppose I should tell him that very important thing," I whispered. He slightly smiled.

"I suppose you should," he replied. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against him.

"I love you," I said. My heart was pounding so loudly that I was afraid he would hear it.

He smiled and pressed his forehead against mine, "Why did you wait this long? Erza, I've loved you for as long as I can remember." I was enveloped in a strange blissfulness. I felt almost like I was floating. The lights of the town shimmered below us as we stood in the place we'd parted, reunited again.

"Why did _you _wait so long?" I jested.

"I have no idea," he said. He closed the gap between us and kissed me deeply. I was swept up in his warmth and the feeling of his lips on mine. We stayed there for a long time, sharing a kiss. At that moment, I could hardly remember that we'd ever been apart. When he broke the kiss he pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders.

"You looked cold," he whispered.

"I still am," I whispered back. He smiled and wrapped his arms around me. "Better," I said. He propped his chin in my head and I buried my face in his chest. This was my bliss. This was my happiness…and it wasn't leaving anytime soon.

* * *

><p><strong>And thus the story ends. Thanks a lot for reading and don't forget to leave me a review telling me your final thoughts, (and what you liked or didn't like about the final chapter). Thanks for reading, Nalu, Gruvia, Jerza, and Gale fans! :) So long!<strong>**  
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